ダーリン
dārin[da̠ːɾʲĩɴ]
The Japanese way to say "my sweetheart" is ダーリン (dārin).
ダーリン is a term of endearment used to refer to a romantic partner. In Japanese, this term is primarily used by women to refer to their boyfriends or husbands, rather than being a gender-neutral term of endearment.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
ダーリン is used in an informal, often cute or stylized way. It is a loanword from English used to address a romantic partner.
How do you pronounce it?
dārin
When do people say it?
The term is often used by women in a stylized manner to address their partners.
Did you know?
- Japanese has no native single-word equivalent for 'sweetheart' that functions the same way as an English vocative address.
- While the English 'darling' is used for any loved one, using ダーリン in Japan can sound like you are playing a character in a romance manga or anime.
- While 'darling' in English can be a generic term for a child or a dear friend, using ダーリン in Japanese almost exclusively limits the context to romantic attraction.
Examples in context
- ダーリン、大好きだよ。Dārin, daisuki da yo.Sweetheart, I love you.
Example conversation
Misaki greets Ren as he arrives home from work.
- 美咲 Misakiダーリン、今日は疲れた？Dārin, kyō wa tsukareta?Darling, are you tired today?
- 蓮 Renうん、ちょっと疲れたよ。Un, chotto tsukareta yo.Yeah, I'm a bit tired.
- 美咲 Misaki美味しいご飯を作ったよ。Oishii gohan o tsukutta yo.I made a delicious meal.
- 蓮 Renありがとう、美咲。Arigatō, Misaki.Thank you, Misaki.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ダーリン, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
