我爱你
wǒ ài nǐ
The English phrase "I love you" is expressed in Chinese as 我爱你 (wǒ ài nǐ).
我爱你 is used to affirm romantic feelings. In Chinese culture, this phrase is typically reserved for intense romantic love and is used much less frequently in daily life than the English "I love you" is used for friends or family.
Meaning: affirmation of romantic feeling (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 我爱你 is composed of 我 (I), 爱 (love) and 你 (you).
Which one should you use?
While 我爱你 expresses deep romantic love, 我喜欢你 (wǒ xǐhuān nǐ) is often used to express romantic interest or "liking" someone in a less heavy, more common way.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb 爱 (ài) does not change its form based on the subject or the tense of the sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
wǒ ài nǐ
When do people say it?
For a more informal way to say "I have feelings for you," you can use 我对你有感觉.
Did you know?
- The number 520 is widely used in digital messaging as a shorthand for 'I love you' because the pronunciation of 'five two zero' sounds similar to 'wǒ ài nǐ'.
- The character for love 爱 in Traditional Chinese includes the character for 'heart' 心 in the middle, though this was removed in the Simplified Chinese version used in mainland China.
- In many Chinese families, instead of saying 我爱你, parents show their affection by asking 你吃饭了吗? which means 'Have you eaten?'
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 uses 我爱你 to show seriousness regarding one's feelings.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 French.Tatoeba #8715888 by crescat, translation #2417967 by CK
- 亲爱的，我爱你。My dear, I love you.
- 他对她说：“我爱你。”He said to her, "I love you."
- 亲爱的，我喜欢你。My dear, I like you.
- 我对你有感觉。I have feelings for you.
- 17 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A quiet evening at a park.
- 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我也爱你，晓雯。Wǒ yě ài nǐ, Xiǎowén.I love you too, Xiaowen.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen你真的这么想吗？Nǐ zhēnde zhème xiǎng ma?Do you really think so?
- 伟 Wei我是认真的。Wǒ shì rènzhēn de.I am serious.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
