好きな人がいる
suki na hito ga iru
In Japanese, "I love someone" is expressed as 好きな人がいる (suki na hito ga iru).
The phrase 好きな人がいる is used to express that you have romantic feelings for someone. It is most commonly used to tell a friend that you have a crush or are in love with someone, rather than being used to confess your feelings directly to the person you love.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to 'there is a person (whom I) like'.
Which one should you use?
While 好き (suki) is often translated as 'like', in the context of 好きな人がいる, it serves as the standard way to express romantic interest or love in Japanese.
How does it change in a sentence?
This phrase uses the existential verb いる (iru) to indicate the existence of a person in one's life.
How do you pronounce it?
suki na hito ga iru
Did you know?
- While 好きな人がいる is common for crushes, the word 愛してる (aishiteru) for 'I love you' is so intense that many Japanese couples go their entire lives without ever saying it aloud.
- In Japanese pop culture, the phrase 好きです (suki desu) is often the official 'line' used during a formal confession, known as 'kokuhaku'. It is a high-stakes social ritual that often marks the start of an official relationship.
- In Japanese poetry and songs, love is often described as 恋 (koi), which refers to a longing or selfish desire, whereas 愛 (ai) refers to a selfless, giving love.
Examples in context
- 「あのね、トム、私好きな人がいるの。トで始まってムで終わるんだけど」「んー、誰だろう？ その人僕の知り合い？」"Tom, I have to tell you something. I love someone. His name starts with TO and ends with M." "Er, who would that be? Is it someone I know?"This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase 好きな人がいる in a conversational context.Tatoeba #3059316 by tommy_san, translation #3060164 by WestofEden
- 好きな人がいるなら、応援するよ。suki na hito ga iru nara, ouen suru yo.If there is someone you love, I'll support you.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their personal lives at a cafe.
- 陽太 Yota美咲、実はさ、好きな人がいるんだ。misaki, jitsu wa sa, suki na hito ga irun da.Misaki, actually, there is someone I love.
- 美咲 Misakiえっ、本当？誰なの？e, hontou? dare nano?Eh, really? Who is it?
- 陽太 Yotaまだ言えないけど、すごく素敵な人だよ。mada ienai kedo, sugoku suteki na hito dayo.I can't say yet, but they are a wonderful person.
- 美咲 Misaki陽太、それなら話を聞かせて！youta, sore nara hanashi o kikasete!Youta, in that case, tell me all about it!
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
