可愛いと思う
kawaii to omou
To say "I think you're cute" in Japanese, you say 可愛いと思う (kawaii to omou).
This phrase is used to tell someone that you find them attractive or charming. By using the construction to omou (I think), you soften the statement, which makes it sound less blunt than simply stating "you are cute".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally means "cute [particle] think".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The plain/informal form is 可愛いと思う. For a polite version, use かわいいと思います, which is achieved by adding ます to the verb. For a very casual expression popular among younger generations, you can say めっちゃ可愛いじゃん, which means "You're super cute". Other informal variations include かわいいと思うよ and すごく可愛いと思ってるよ, which means "I think you're really cute".
How does it change in a sentence?
The particle と acts as a quotation marker that links the adjective to the verb 思う.
How do you pronounce it?
kawaii to omou
Did you know?
- While 可愛い usually means 'cute', it can also be used to describe things that are small or pitiful, originating from a word meaning 'to love' or 'to pity'.
- While 'cute' is a compliment, using the word 可愛い to describe an adult woman can sometimes be perceived as patronizing or 'infantilizing' depending on the tone. It can imply you see her as a child rather than a romantic peer.
- Using 可愛い to describe an adult man is a specific stylistic choice that suggests he has a youthful, approachable, or 'soft' charm rather than traditional masculinity.
Examples in context
- 君は本当に可愛いと思う。Kimi wa hontou ni kawaii to omou.I really think you're cute.
- その笑顔、可愛いと思う。Sono egao, kawaii to omou.I think that smile is cute.
Example conversation
Ren and Yui are walking home together after school.
- 蓮 Ren結衣のこと、実は可愛いと思うんだ。Yui no koto, jitsu wa kawaii to omounda.To be honest, I think you're cute, Yui.
- 結衣 Yuiえっ、急にどうしたの？E, kyuu ni doushita no?What? Where is this coming from all of a sudden?
- 蓮 Renずっと言いたかっただけだよ。Zutto iitakatta dake da yo.I've just wanted to tell you for a long time.
- 結衣 Yuiありがとう。ちょっと照れるな。Arigatou. Chotto tereru na.Thank you. I'm blushing a little.
