我爱你
wǒ ài nǐ
The English phrase "I love you" is translated into Chinese as 我爱你 (wǒ ài nǐ).
我爱你 is used as an affirmation of romantic feeling. While it is the direct translation for romantic love, many Chinese speakers express affection to family members or friends through actions or different phrasing rather than this specific phrase.
Meaning: affirmation of romantic feeling (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 我爱你 is composed of 我 (I/me), 爱 (to love) and 你 (you).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Shanghainese, "I love you" can be expressed as 我爱侬.
How do you pronounce it?
wǒ ài nǐ
When do people say it?
In Chinese culture, 我爱你 is often considered very intense and is used more sparingly than its English equivalent, frequently reserved for serious romantic relationships or very profound declarations.
Did you know?
- In modern digital slang, young people sometimes use the numbers '520' to represent 'I love you' because the pronunciation of 'wǔ èr líng' sounds similar to 'wǒ ài nǐ'.
- May 20th has become an unofficial 'Love Day' in China, similar to Valentine's Day, because of the 520 numerical pun for 我爱你.
- The character 爱 (love) was historically written with a heart component 心 in the middle, though this was removed in the simplified script used in mainland China.
Examples in context
- 汤没我爱你。Tom doesn't love you as much as I love you.This sentence uses 我爱你 to compare how much someone is loved.Tatoeba #13943785 by jan_OkulaJu, translation #4391193 by CK
- 我说我爱你时是认真的。I was serious when I said I love you.This sentence shows the use of 我爱你 in a statement about being serious.Tatoeba #5551019 by verdastelo9604, translation #5573284 by n1ls
- “我爱你”用法语怎么讲？How do you say "I love you" in French?This sentence uses 我爱你 to ask how to say the phrase in another language.Tatoeba #8715888 by crescat, translation #2417967 by CK
- 17 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple is celebrating their anniversary at a restaurant.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen伟，我想对你说，我爱你。Wěi, wǒ xiǎng duì nǐ shuō, wǒ ài nǐ.Wei, I want to tell you, I love you.
- 伟 Wei晓雯，我也爱你。Xiǎowén, wǒ yě ài nǐ.Xiaowen, I love you too.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen你真的这么想吗？Nǐ zhēnde zhème xiǎng ma?Do you really feel that way?
- 伟 Wei当然，我一直都是认真的。Dāngrán, wǒ yìzhī dōu shì rènzhēn de.Of course, I have always been serious.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
