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 |
The phrases used to express romantic feeling in Japanese vary significantly in intensity. The most common way to express romantic attraction or love in daily life is using the word 好きだ. For a very heavy, serious expression of romantic love, you can use 愛してる. This specific form is used less frequently than in English.
Which one should you use?
While 好きだ is the common way to express romantic attraction, 愛してる is considered a heavy and serious expression. You can also use the katakana loanword アイ・ラブ・ユー to add a playful or Westernized nuance, often seen in pop culture.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
There are many levels of formality depending on the pronouns and verb endings used. 愛しています is a formal way to say "I love you", while 愛してる is a more common, contracted version. To express that you are in love, the formal expression 恋しています can be used. For an informal approach, 好きだよ or 大好きだよ (meaning "I really love you") are common. If you want to sound very masculine and informal, you might use the phrase 俺はお前が好きだ which utilizes the pronouns 俺 (ore) and お前 (omae).
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. In the Kyushu dialect, the informal expression 好きとー may be used to say "I love you".
How does it change in a sentence?
The form 愛している is the grammatically complete version of the more common, contracted 愛してる. Additionally, when expressing affection, adding のことが after a person's name or pronoun (as in 君のことが好きだ) shifts the focus from the person as an object to the essence of the person, making the feeling sound more heartfelt.
How do you pronounce it?
ai-shiteru
When do people say it?
In Japanese culture, the intensity of the words chosen is very important. Using 愛してる conveys a very deep and serious commitment. For those wishing to express a more gentle or formal sense of devotion, 大切にしています can be used to mean "I cherish you".
Did you know?
- In traditional Japanese literature and old cinema, the phrase 月が綺麗ですね meaning 'the moon is beautiful, isn't it' was famously used as a poetic proxy for saying 愛してる.
- The verb 愛してる is formed by combining the noun 愛 meaning 'love' with the verb する meaning 'to do', essentially describing love as an action one performs.
- Because 愛してる is so incredibly heavy, it is often reserved for life-changing moments, such as marriage proposals or near-death confessions, rather than daily expressions of affection.
Examples in context
- 愛してるよ、リサ！I love you, Lisa!This example shows how to use the form 愛してる to address someone by name.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 example uses 愛してる to express deep emotion.Tatoeba #10680320 by small_snow, translation #6133249 by carlosalberto
- あなた。大好きよ。Honey, I love you.This example 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 quiet evening at a park under the moonlight.
- 陽葵 Himari大翔くん、ずっと前から伝えたかったの。Hiroto-kun, zutto mae kara tsutaetakatta no.Hiroto, I've wanted to tell you this for a long time.
- 大翔 Hirotoどうしたの？急に真剣な顔をして。Doushita no? Kyuu ni shinken na kao o shite.What's wrong? You have such a serious look on your face.
- 陽葵 Himari本当に、愛してる。Hontou ni, aishiteru.I truly love you.
- 大翔 Hiroto僕もだよ、陽葵。Boku mo da yo, Himari.I love you too, Himari.
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.
