{"id":3981,"date":"2021-01-24T12:00:17","date_gmt":"2021-01-24T12:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.clozemaster.com\/blog\/?p=3981"},"modified":"2021-02-02T20:13:50","modified_gmt":"2021-02-02T20:13:50","slug":"i-love-you-in-japanese","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.clozemaster.com\/blog\/i-love-you-in-japanese\/","title":{"rendered":"I Love You in Japanese: Learn How to Express Your Feelings in Japanese"},"content":{"rendered":"

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As Valentine\u2019s Day approaches, you may be wondering how to say I love you<\/em> in Japanese. Whether you\u2019ve been together for a while now or one of you is just picking up the courage to confess your feelings, saying I love you<\/em> isn\u2019t as simple as anime would have you believe. Japanese culture is nuanced when it comes to the expression of love. In this article, we\u2019ll look at the how\u2019s and why\u2019s of saying I love you<\/em> in Japanese.<\/p>\n

How Do You Say I Love You<\/em> in Japanese? You Don\u2019t.<\/h2>\n

Expressing love is a rather new-fangled idea in the 2,000+ year-old country of Japan. A quick study of \u5927\u548c (Yamato<\/em>), or the \u201coriginal Japanese\u201d language, will reveal that ancient Japanese people didn\u2019t have a phrase that directly translated to I love you. <\/em>One might say, \u201c\u3042\u306a\u305f\u3092\u5927\u5207\u306b\u3059\u308b\u201d (Anata o taisetsu ni suru<\/em>), or I will cherish you<\/em>. There were many beautiful and poetic metaphors or nicknames<\/a> to express romantic feelings.<\/p>\n

The closest modern approximation of I love you <\/em>in Japanese, or \u611b\u3057\u3066\u3044\u308b (aishiteiru<\/em>), only came into being during the Meiji Era<\/a>. Translators working on Western texts such as the Bible were struggling to define the common phrase. Technically, the phrase I love you<\/em> is an imported piece of culture to Japanese people. This might be why so many of them prefer not<\/strong> to say it.<\/p>\n

Much like with physical displays of affection<\/a>, Japanese people prefer to keep their romantic language out of the public eye. Japanese men in particular<\/a> shy away from the phrase I love you<\/em>, as they worry overusing it would diminish its value\u2014and might even embarrass them. I love you<\/em> is a very serious thing to say in Japan. It is usually reserved for the initial confession of one\u2019s feelings or for a married couple.<\/p>\n

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How to Say I Love You <\/em>in Japanese<\/h2>\n

The words do exist! Let\u2019s look at the two major phrases used to say I love you<\/em> in Japanese.<\/p>\n

\u611b\u3057\u3066\u3044\u308b (aishiteiru<\/em>) \u2013 I love you<\/h3>\n

\u611b\u3057\u3066\u3044\u308b (aishiteiru<\/em>) translates to I love you<\/em> in Japanese, but the nuance of the phrase is more akin to I am <\/em>in<\/em><\/strong> love with you. <\/em>This isn\u2019t a phrase you should use lightly with your partner of one month unless you are really<\/strong> serious.<\/p>\n

Even if you\u2019ve been together longer, it\u2019s important to gauge how comfortable your partner may be with such an open expression of romance. Aishiteiru<\/em> is commonly reserved for married couples in Japan. Even within the bounds of marriage, many people consider aishiteiru<\/em> to be such a heavy and intense statement that they only use it sparingly.<\/p>\n

Many Japanese people in an international relationship admit to feeling more comfortable saying I love you<\/em> in English than they do saying Aishiteiru<\/em> on a daily basis. However, the phrase is<\/strong> considered to be a deeply romantic one; you just might hear it more often in music and television shows than you would in real time.<\/p>\n

\u597d\u304d\u3067\u3059 (Suki desu<\/em>) \u2013 I like you<\/h3>\n

The phrase \u597d\u304d\u3067\u3059 (suki desu<\/em>) might already be familiar if you\u2019ve watched a Japanese anime or drama. While Suki desu<\/em> is literally translated as I like you, <\/em>it is still the preferred phrase among couples who have been together for years. That\u2019s because, as we mentioned earlier, the alternative aishiteiru <\/em>is a more serious way to say I love you<\/em> in Japanese.<\/p>\n

If you want to convey more affection, you can say, \u5927\u597d\u304d (daisuki<\/em>) instead. Daisuki<\/em> means I <\/em>really<\/em><\/strong> like you. <\/em>However, it\u2019s used more commonly to convey the idea of love<\/em> than aishiteiru<\/em> is.<\/p>\n

Suki<\/em> and daisuki<\/em> are less indicative of an intent to marry and are probably the safer options if you\u2019re in a new relationship. Feel free to use these two phrases more casually by replacing -\u3067\u3059 (-desu<\/em>) with -\u3060 (-da<\/em>).<\/p>\n

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Express Love with Action<\/h2>\n

In the gift-centric culture<\/a> of Japan, many opt to express their feelings through presents, romantic dinners, or even a simple offer to do extra chores around the home. Here are some common ways to say I love you<\/em> to a Japanese person with your actions.<\/p>\n

Give Them Chocolate<\/h3>\n

Valentine\u2019s Day is such a big deal in Japan that it actually happens twice<\/strong>: on February 14th<\/sup>, women tend to give the chocolates out, and on March 14th<\/sup> (known as \u201cWhite Day\u201d), men return the favor. There is so much import placed on these chocolate-giving practices that the rules of Valentine\u2019s Day that chocolates are categorized into two groups<\/a>: \u7fa9\u7406\u30c1\u30e7\u30b3 (giri choco<\/em>) is the chocolate you give without any romantic intent, while \u672c\u547d\u30c1\u30e7\u30b3 (honmei choco<\/em>) is the chocolate you give your crush. If you want to convey your love to a Japanese person, giving them some honmei<\/em> choco<\/em> on Valentine\u2019s Day is an excellent way to start!<\/p>\n

Spend Time Together<\/h3>\n

Japan is still quite segregated by gender, so spending some one-on-one time with your partner is an excellent way to convey your feelings to them. Many Japanese young people who are trying to court each other will offer to walk home together, meet at a caf\u00e9, or even watch a movie at home as a pair. If you are interested in someone of the same sex, the dating culture is a little bit different<\/a>, but one-on-one time is still significant in a relationship with a Japanese person.<\/p>\n

Meet the Parents<\/h3>\n

It should be noted that meeting your partner\u2019s parents is considered a big deal in Japan. More often than not, an invitation to visit your partner\u2019s hometown implies that they are wanting to take the next step in your relationship. If you\u2019re comfortable with that, meeting the parents is a big way to show that you share your partner\u2019s deep feelings of love.<\/p>\n

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Love-Related Japanese Words and Phrases<\/h2>\n

There are plenty of words to remember in Japanese when it comes to the dating world.<\/p>\n

Now that you know how to say I love you in Japanese<\/em>, here are some other phrases to remember when you\u2019re dating in Japan:<\/p>\n