How to say I love you in Japanese (2024)

The most formal and neutral way to say 'I love you' in Japanese would be :

私はあなたが好きです。/ Watashi ha anata ga suki desu.

Let's decompose this :

  • 私 / 'watashi' = I, me
  • は / 'ha' (pronounce 'wa') is the particle for the subject.
  • あなた / 'anata' = you ; which you can replace with 君 / 'kimi' or おまえ / 'omae' (more familiar forms).
  • が / 'ga' = to make it simple, it's the particle for the object.
  • at last, 好きです / 'suki desu' means to love, or 好きだ / 'suki da' or 好き / 'suki' in the familiar form. You can add 大 / 'dai' before 'suki' to really mean it, which gives us 大好きです / 'daisuki desu'.

The whole first part (私はあなたが / 'watashi ha anata ga') is quite formal and not required, that's why you can hear a mere 大好きだ / 'daisuki da'…

More precisely, the Japanese character (kanji) for love is the same than in Chinese : 愛 pronounced 'ai' (at least sometimes). You can create a verb from it : 愛しています / 'aish*teimasu' in the polite form, 愛してる / 'aish*teru' in the neutral form. Its use is the same than 好きです / “suki desu”, except you have to replace が / 'ga' with を / 'wo' (pronounce 'o'), giving us 私はあなたを愛しています。/ Watashi ha anata wo aish*teimasu.

愛 / 'ai' and its derivatives are more meaningful than 好き / 'suki'. You can 'suki' baseball or ice creams, but you can only 'ai' someone.

How to say I love you in Japanese (2024)

FAQs

What are the three ways to say "I love you" in Japanese? ›

The 3 main ways to say I love you in Japanese are ai sh*teru, daisuki and suki. How do you say I love you in Japanese language? The literal translation of I love you in Japanese language is 愛してる (ai sh*teru). However, a more natural way to say I love you in Japanese is suki da.

Does Suki Desu mean I love you? ›

Suki desu – 好きです

Suki translates best to 'like', but it's used in Japan to express that you're romantically interested in someone.

How do anime say "I love you"? ›

One of the most common ways to say 'I love you' in Japanese is with the term ai sh*teru (aye-shee-teh-ru). It employs the character (ai), which denotes a passionate form of love.

Is daisuki the same as I love you? ›

With 大好き (daisuki), it's a bit like saying "I like you" and "I love you" at the same time.

Do Japanese girls say I love you? ›

In general, Japanese people don't verbally express their love much. It's part of the 'read between the lines' culture, in which people think they're showing love through their actions. (It can be incredibly subtle!)

What does Suki da yo mean? ›

好きだよ (Suki da yo) - Means “I like you!” While similar to “I like you!” in English, has a stronger nuance towards actual love. For example “Suki da yo!” could be used to say to an interlocutor that you want to be someone's girlfriend/boyfriend.

What does tsuki mean? ›

Origin:Japanese. Meaning:Moon; Month. Tsuki is a popular baby girl name across Mount Rausu, Mount Iwate, Mount Tanigawa, Mount Fuji, and Mount Unzen. Tsuki is a Japanese baby girl name for “moon” or "month," and is also associated with martial art techniques.

Is it Aish*teru or Aish*teru? ›

A literal translation of the phrase "I love you" in Japanese would be "aish*te imasu." Written out, it would look like this: 愛しています. In conversation, you're more likely to use the gender-neutral word "aish*teru" (愛してる). If you wanted to express your affection for a man, you would say, "aish*teru yo" (愛してるよ).

What is Suki Suki? ›

It means “I like you” or “I love you”. 好きだよ suki dayo.

What is the meaning of onii chan? ›

Answer: Explanation: 'onii chan' means older brother . It is often used as a term of address. 'ohayo' means good morning in Japanese.

Why did daisuki shut down? ›

Daisuki was started by a bunch of (really rich) Japanese anime companies to stream their own titles, especially older ones that had never been released officially in English before. Turns out there aren't that many people who want that, so it didn't make much money.

What is the difference between Aish*teru and Suki? ›

You can also say 愛してる (aish*teru) for “I love you”, but be careful not to overuse it. In Japan, love is rather shown through actions than spoken. Where 好き (suki) expresses affection and fondness, 恋 (koi) instead, suggests passionate love that is felt in the beginning of a relationship.

What does zutto aish*teru mean? ›

Aish*teru. Zutto) Which means: “I Will always love you. Forever

What does su ki ma mean? ›

"Sukima" (隙間) means "gap" or "crevice", where wind, water or light might come through. It can also mean "unpreparedness" or "carelessness", which could allude to him being the first to be caught cheating five times.

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