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 |
In Japanese, there are many ways to express romantic affection depending on the intensity of your feelings and the social context. Japanese speakers often avoid saying 'I love you' directly, preferring to show affection through actions or using 'suki' (like) instead.
Which one should you use?
The word 好き (suki) is much more commonly used in daily life to express romantic affection than the heavy verb 愛してる (ai-shiteru). For a more masculine and blunt tone, one might use 俺はお前が好きだ (ore wa omae ga suki da).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form 愛している (ai-shite iru) is the continuous state of loving, while 愛してる (ai-shiteru) is the more common, contracted spoken version. The use of 俺 (ore) and お前 (omae) makes the expression 俺はお前が好きだ sound very masculine and can be perceived as rough or blunt.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The phrase 好きやねん (sukiyanen) is a way to say 'I love you' specifically in the Kansai dialect (Osaka area).
How do you pronounce it?
ai-shiteru
Did you know?
- In Japanese culture, a common indirect way to express 'i love you' is by saying 月が綺麗ですね (tsuki ga kirei desu ne), which literally means 'the moon is beautiful, isn't it'.
- The word 愛 (ai) in 愛してる is a kanji character that represents a deep, selfless love, whereas 恋 (koi) refers to a more longing, passionate or selfish love.
- Many Japanese speakers use the English phrase アイ・ラブ・ユー (ai rabu yu) written in katakana because it feels less intense and more playful than the traditional Japanese terms.
Examples in context
- 愛してるよ、リサ！I love you, Lisa!This example shows how to use 愛してる when addressing someone directly.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 illustrates the use of 愛してる to express deep, heartfelt affection.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 affectionately.Tatoeba #12698715 by small_snow, translation #2185162 by Hybrid
- 29 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A quiet evening at a park during a cherry blossom festival.
- 蓮 Ren愛してる。Aishiteru.I love you.
- 陽葵 Himari私も、蓮さんを愛してる。Watashi mo, Ren-san o aishiteru.I love you too, Ren.
- 蓮 Renずっと一緒にいようね。Zutto issho ni iyou ne.Let's stay together forever.
- 陽葵 Himariええ、約束だよ。Ee, yakusoku da yo.Yes, it's a promise.
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.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
