愛してる
I love you
The most direct way to express 'I love you' in Japanese is by saying ai shiteru (愛してる / あいしてる) or ai shiteru yo for added emphasis. This phrase is commonly encountered in anime or textbooks.
The kanji character for ai (愛) symbolizes love and includes the character for heart (心 / kokoro) nestled within it. A delightful representation!
Ai suru (愛する / あいする) is the verb meaning 'to love,' combining the noun ai (love) with the verb suru (to do). Ai shiteru is the usual way to convey 'I love you' in the present tense, with shiteru meaning 'am doing.'
The particle yo (よ) is optionally used at the end of sentences for emphasis, providing a more casual and natural tone.
A more formal expression is ai shiteimasu (愛しています / あいしています), although it is seldom used. After all, if you're ready to declare your love, you're likely close enough to use informal language!
However, these expressions aren't the most common ways to convey love in Japanese.
In Japanese, ai is a profound word denoting deep, enduring, and romantic love. Typically, ai shiteru yo is reserved for someone with whom you share a profound commitment, often used when contemplating marriage.
Even then, married couples don't use this phrase regularly due to its weightiness and formality. Some individuals may only utter ai shiteru a few times in their lives, such as during a proposal or when facing mortality. It's not a phrase used casually in dating scenarios.
So what can you say instead?
Suki
好き
I like you, I love you
You might have learned that suki (好き / すき) translates to 'like.'
Indeed, suki can mean both 'like' and 'love,' depending on the context. Love, much like in English, encompasses various forms and expressions—adoration, infatuation, deep affection.
Suki is the most common and natural way to convey liking, loving, or adoration in Japanese.
Japanese individuals often express themselves less verbally, relying on context to convey meaning. So, saying suki on a first date doesn't necessarily imply an immediate desire for marriage and children—it signifies interest and a desire to continue the relationship.
Suki is versatile, applied to animate and inanimate objects alike:
- suki (好き) – casual, more feminine
- suki desu (好きです) – more polite, neutral
- suki da (好きだ) – more masculine
- suki da yo (好きだよ) – more masculine
- suki yo (好きよ) – more feminine
- suki yanen! (好きやねん) – Kansai dialect, playful and fun (widely understood across Japan)
By the way, suki is also applicable to expressing 'liking' for anything, even inanimate objects:
- Nihon ga suki desu (日本が好きです) – I like Japan.
- Piza ga suki (ピザが好き) – I like pizza.
Daisuki
大好き
I really like you, I love you
Daisuki (大好き / だいすき) means 'really like' or 'like a lot.'
The kanji 大 (dai) means big, and 好き (suki) means like, as explained earlier. Hence, daisuki literally translates to 'big like.'
Daisuki can be understood as 'I love you very much' or 'I really like you,' intensifying the expression of one's feelings.
Various endings can be added for nuance and emphasis, such as daisuki yo for a more feminine tone and daisuki da yo for a more masculine declaration of love.
Actions Speak Louder than Words (Avoid Saying 'I Love You'!)
Japanese individuals, compared to some Western cultures, don't frequently verbalize 'I love you.'
Expressions like ending every phone call with 'I love you' are uncommon in Japan. It's not a reflection of diminished love but rather a cultural preference for demonstrating commitment through actions.
In Japan, actions truly convey love more meaningfully. Demonstrating love through everyday caring actions is valued more than repeatedly saying the words. A traditional phrase used for proposing in Japanese encapsulates this sentiment:
Ore no misoshiru wo tsukutte kurenai
俺のみそ汁を毎朝作ってくれない
おれ の みそしる を まいあさ つくってくれない
Will you make my miso soup every morning?
While it may not sound overtly romantic, it signifies a commitment to being there for each other every morning—a sentiment modern Japanese individuals might find amusing. Nevertheless, it offers insight into the cultural nuances behind the words.
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