我爱你
wǒ ài nǐ
The phrase "I love you" in Chinese is 我爱你 (wǒ ài nǐ).
The most straightforward way to say "I love you" is 我爱你.
Meaning: affirmation of romantic feeling (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 我 (I/me), 爱 (to love) and 你 (you).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Taiwanese Mandarin, an informal way to say "I love you" is 我愛你喔.
How do you pronounce it?
wǒ ài nǐ
When do people say it?
In Chinese culture, the phrase 我爱你 is often considered very intense and is used less frequently in daily life than the English "I love you" compared to Western standards. For a more playful and colloquial way of expressing this feeling, you can use 爱死你了.
Did you know?
- In digital communication, young people sometimes use the numbers '520' as a shorthand for 'I love you' because the pronunciation sounds similar.
- In many Chinese families, the concept of love is often expressed through actions like peeling fruit or cooking a meal rather than saying 我爱你.
- The phrase 爱死你了 literally translates to 'love you to death', which turns a morbid image into a high-energy expression of affection.
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 levels of love.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 is useful for expressing sincerity when saying 我爱你.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 for a translation into another language.Tatoeba #8715888 by crescat, translation #2417967 by CK
- 你是我生命中最重要的人，我爱你。You're the most important person in my life, I love you.
- 我深深地爱着你，无法想象没有你的生活。I deeply love you, I can't imagine life without you.
- 亲爱的，我爱你啊，永远不会变。My dear, I love you, and it will never change.
- 今晚的约会真是太完美了，爱死你了！Tonight's date was so perfect, I love you to death!
- 17 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple is having a romantic dinner at home.
- 伟 Wei佳怡，我爱你。Jiāyí, wǒ ài nǐ.Jiayi, I love you.
- 佳怡 Jiayi我也爱你，伟。Wǒ yě ài nǐ, Wěi.I love you too, Wei.
- 伟 Wei你今天真漂亮。Nǐ jīntiān zhēn piàoliang.You look beautiful today.
- 佳怡 Jiayi谢谢你。Xièxiè nǐ.Thank you.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
