大好きだよ
daisuki da yofriends, warm
To tell a friend you love them without romance, say 大好きだよ (daisuki da yo). To be very clear, say 友達として好きだよ (tomodachi toshite suki da yo), "I like you as a friend". It is also called 大切に思ってる (taisetsu ni omotteru).
Meaning: love for a friend or family (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 大好きだよ | daisuki da yo | friends, warm |
| 友達として好きだよ | tomodachi toshite suki da yo | clear, platonic |
| 大切に思ってる | taisetsu ni omotteru | caring |
Among friends, people say 大好き (daisuki) fairly freely, especially girls to each other. 大切に思ってる (taisetsu ni omotteru) means "you are precious to me" and fits close friends or family.
Which one should you use?
The strong word 愛してる (aishiteru) is usually romantic or for deep family love and is rare. The word 好き (suki) alone can be taken as romantic, so adding 友達として (tomodachi toshite) helps.
When do people say it?
Japanese families say "I love you" aloud less often than English speakers do. People show care through actions and thanks instead.
Did you know?
- The word 大好き (daisuki) is 好き (suki) with 大 (dai), "big", in front, so it literally means "big like".
Examples in context
- あなたのこと、大好きだよ。Anata no koto, daisuki da yo.I love you.
- 友達として好きだよ。Tomodachi toshite suki da yo.I like you as a friend.
- みんなのこと大切に思ってる。Minna no koto taisetsu ni omotteru.I care deeply about all of you.
Example conversation
Misaki says goodbye to her best friend Rena before moving abroad.
- Misakiレナ、大好きだよ。Rena, daisuki da yo.Rena, I love you.
- Rena私も大好き。Watashi mo daisuki.I love you too.
- Misakiずっと友達だよ。Zutto tomodachi da yo.We will always be friends.
