我愛你
góa ài lì
To say "I love you" in Hokkien, use 我愛你 (góa ài lì).
我愛你 is used as an affirmation of romantic feeling. While it is grammatically correct, it can sound quite formal or dramatic in spoken Hokkien compared to more colloquial ways of expressing affection.
Meaning: affirmation of romantic feeling (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 我 (I/me), 愛 (love) and 你 (you).
How do you pronounce it?
góa ài lì
Did you know?
- In many Hokkien-speaking communities, expressing love through food, such as saying 'Have you eaten yet?', carries a much deeper emotional weight than the literal phrase 我愛你.
- Because 我愛你 can feel too intense, many Hokkien speakers use the word 疼 (tèn), which means 'to cherish' or 'to love dearly', to express a softer and more protective kind of love.
- The word 愛 in Hokkien can also mean 'to want' or 'to need'. Depending on the context, saying 我愛你 might be interpreted as 'I want you' rather than a romantic declaration.
Example conversation
A young couple is walking in a park at sunset.
- 家豪 Ka-hao佳怡，我想對你說一句話。Ka-i, guá siūnn teh túi lí kóng tsi̍t-kùan uē.Jiayi, I want to tell you something.
- 佳怡 Chia-yi你要說什麼呢？Lí beh kóng siá-mih?What do you want to say?
- 家豪 Ka-hao我愛你。Guá ài lí.I love you.
- 佳怡 Chia-yi我也愛你，家豪。Guá iā ài lí, Ka-hô.I love you too, Jiahao.
