Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 愛してる | ai-shiteru | [a̠i ɕi̥te̞ɾɯ̟] (narrow) |
| 君を愛している | kimi o ai-shite iru | |
| 俺はお前のことが好きだ | ore wa omae no koto ga suki da | |
| 俺はお前が好きだ | ore wa omae ga suki da | |
| 好きよ | suki yo | |
| 私はあなたが好きだ | watashi wa anata ga suki da | |
| アイ・ラブ・ユー | ai-rabu-yū | [a̠i ɾa̠bɯ̟ jɯ̟ː] (narrow) |
| 好きやねん | sukiyanen |
Japanese has several ways to express affection, ranging from casual liking to profound romantic declarations. While the literal word for love is used for intense, serious feelings, many people more commonly use expressions of 'liking' to convey romantic interest or affection in daily life.
Which one should you use?
The forms differ significantly in intensity and tone. 愛してる is a heavy, intense expression reserved for profound and serious romantic declarations. In contrast, expressions involving 好き (suki) are more common and used for daily romantic interest or general affection. For a playful or pop-culture feel, the English phrase itself can be transliterated as アイ・ラブ・ユー.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a formal context, you can use 愛しています。 or the even more emphatic あなたを心から愛しています。 to say you love someone from the bottom of your heart. To express that you hold someone dear or cherish them formally, use 大切にしています。 For casual, everyday situations, use 愛してる。 or 大好きだよ。 to say you really like or are fond of someone. The form 君が好き。 is also used informally to say you like someone.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Kansai dialect, you may hear the informal expressions 好きやねん or 好いとんねん to express affection.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine-coded phrase 俺はお前が好きだ and its variation 俺はお前のことが好きだ use the masculine pronouns 俺 (ore) and お前 (omae) to create a very informal and masculine tone. The phrase 私はあなたが好きだ uses the more standard 私 (watashi) and あなた (anata).
How do you pronounce it?
ai-shiteru
Did you know?
- In many Japanese films and novels, a character might never actually say 'I love you' even if they are deeply in love. Instead, they might use the phrase 'The moon is beautiful, isn't it?' to indirectly imply their affection.
- The word 愛 (ai) in 愛してる was historically less common in spoken Japanese and gained more popularity as a translation for Western concepts of romantic love.
- The phrase 愛してる is grammatically a continuous state, formed by 愛 (love) and してる (am doing), suggesting that love is an ongoing action rather than a static feeling.
Examples in context
- 愛してるよ、リサ！I love you, Lisa!This sentence uses the form 愛してる to show a direct address.Tatoeba #8736627 by small_snow, translation #9234969 by kedymera
- 心から愛してるよ。I love you from the bottom of my heart.This sentence uses the form 愛してる to emphasize deep sincerity.Tatoeba #10680320 by small_snow, translation #6133249 by carlosalberto
- あなた。大好きよ。Honey, I love you.This sentence uses the form 好きよ to express affection.Tatoeba #12698715 by small_snow, translation #2185162 by Hybrid
- 29 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple is walking through a park at sunset.
- 大翔 Hiroto陽葵、ずっと愛してる。Himari, zutto aishiteru.Himari, I will love you forever.
- 陽葵 Himari私も、大翔を愛してるよ。Watashi mo, Hiroto o aishiteru yo.I love you too, Hiroto.
- 大翔 Hiroto本当に幸せだ。Hontou ni shiawase da.I am truly happy.
- 陽葵 Himari私も幸せ。Watashi mo shiawase.I am happy too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I love you” translations and entries 愛してる, アイ・ラブ・ユー, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 愛してる, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
