大好きだよ
daisuki da yowarm, casual
To a girlfriend, a natural way to say "I love you" is 大好きだよ (daisuki da yo), which means "I like you very much". 愛してる (aishiteru) is the literal "I love you" and feels much heavier. It is also called 好きだよ (suki da yo).
Meaning: telling a girlfriend you love her (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 大好きだよ | daisuki da yo | warm, casual |
| 好きだよ | suki da yo | warm, casual |
| 愛してる | aishiteru | very strong, rare |
Many Japanese couples say 好き and 大好き for everyday affection and save 愛してる for serious moments.
Which one should you use?
A man speaking to his girlfriend would typically use だ in 好きだよ, while she might say 好きだよ or 大好き without it.
How does it change in a sentence?
The ending よ adds a gentle emphasis. Put her name first, as in ユイ、大好きだよ (Yui, daisuki da yo), to make it personal.
Did you know?
- The word 愛 in 愛してる means "love", while 好き is closer to "like", which is why they carry different weights.
Examples in context
- 愛してるよ。Aishiteru yo.I love you.
- ずっとそばにいたいよ。Zutto soba ni itai yo.I want to be by your side always.
Example conversation
Takumi walks his girlfriend Yui to the station after a date.
- Takumiユイ、今日はありがとう。Yui, kyō wa arigatō.Yui, thank you for today.
- 結衣 Yuiこちらこそ、たのしかった。Kochira koso, tanoshikatta.Same here, it was fun.
- Takumiユイ、大好きだよ。Yui, daisuki da yo.Yui, I love you.
- 結衣 Yuiわたしも大好き。Watashi mo daisuki.I love you too.
