How to Say “I Love You” in Japanese and Other Romantic Phrases and Vocabulary

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2024/10/23

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Want to express your affections in Japanese but don’t know how to? Learn various romantic Japanese phrases and expressions from confession to proposal in this article.

Table of Contents

How to Say “I Love You” in Japanese
Romance and Dating Culture in Japan
Confessing Love in Japanese
Other Ways to Say “I Like You” and “I Love You” in Japanese
Terms of Endearment in Japanese
Proposing in Japanese

How to Say “I Love You” in Japanese

The most direct translation of “I Love You” into Japanese is “愛してる (Aishiteru)”. However, unlike as depicted in anime dramas and movies, are very rarely used in real life. This is because it is considered “heavy (重い, Omoi)”. “Aishiteru” is usally reserved for special serious occasions such as marriage proposals, weddings and anniversaries.

The preferred phrase to express affection in Japanese is “好きです (Suki desu)” which means “I like you” but can also imply love depending on the context. To express stronger affections, closer to “I love you”, one would say “大好きです (Daisuki desu)”.

Even then, it is still uncommon for Japanese people to directly express their feelings for someone. In every life, most couples show affection discreetly, such as helping out, terms of endearment, or indirect speech.

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Romance and Dating Culture in Japan

Romance and dating culture in Japan is very different from the west. In some overseas cultures, a simple meal or a coffee together can, more or less, serve as a casual first date for a couple who may be close friends already or have only met for the first time. In these cases, there is no need to explicitly mention and agree that this is a date, nor anything said or done to confirm commitment to a serious relationship.

In contrast, confessions are the prelude to dating in Japan. A confession is when a man or woman tells the other party their feelings, that they like them and want to date them. If the recipient of the confession accepts, they become a couple and start dating.

In Japan, the dating process itself can be described as conservative. Verbal affections are kept to private intimate moments and public displays of affection (PDA) are kept to a minimum, it is rare to even see couples holding hands in public. Relationships between adults are usually entered into with marriage in mind from the onset and relationships tend to progress slowly.

Read more about Romance and Dating Culture in Japan here.

Confessing Love in Japanese

In Japan, romantic relationships usually start with a formal confession of love. This is called “告白 (Kokuhaku)”, where one person clearly states their feelings for the other. Confession scenes are frequently depicted in anime and dramas, sometimes by sending a love letter though this is usually only done by students.

Here are some examples of how to confess your love in Japanese.

1. “I like you.” - 好きです (Suki desu)

A simple straightforward but meaningful phrase to convey your feelings to the other person. If you don’t use these words, the other person may misunderstand your confession.

2. “Please go out with me.” - 付き合ってください (Tsukiatte kudasai)

Just saying you like the other person does not make it clear whether you want to go out with the person or not. Follow up with this phrase which is a direct yet respectful way to express romantic interest and ask for the start of a relationship.

3. “Please be my boyfriend / girlfriend.” - 彼氏・彼女になってくれませんか？(Kareshi / Kanojo ni natte kuremasen ka?)

彼氏 (Kareshi) is “boyfriend” and 彼女 (Kanojo) “girlfriend” in Japanese. Though less common than the above phrase, this is another way to confess and express your feelings of love.

4. “I want you to be my boyfriend / girlfriend.” - 彼氏・彼女になって欲しい (Kareshi / Kanojo ni natte hoshii…)

Similar to the above phrase, but this time in a casual tone. This phrase should be reserved between close friends.

5. “I fell in love with you at first sight.” - 君に一目惚れした (Kimi ni hitomebore shita)

The word “一目惚れ (Hitomebore)” means “love at first sight.” This phrase is ideal for confessing to someone who has left a lasting impression on you from the very first moment.

6. “I’ve liked you for a long time.” - ずっと前から好きでした。(Zutto mae kara suki deshita)

This confession expresses that the person has been holding onto their feelings for an extended period. It’s a more emotional way to convey deep-rooted affection that they’ve kept secret for a while.

7. “I want to date you with marriage in mind.” - 結婚を前提に付き合ってほしい (Kekkon wo zentei ni tsukiatte hoshii)

A confession with utmost sincerity. This phrase is used by men when confessing to women. Only use this phrase if you have real intentions to carry through with your promise.

8. “I’m happy when I’m with you.” - 一緒にいると幸せです (Issho ni iru to shiawase desu)

While not a direct confession, this phrase hints at romantic interest by expressing how much you enjoy the other person’s company. It’s often used when building up to a more serious confession.

How to Say “I Like You” and “I Love You” in Japanese

9. “I like you.” - 好きです (Suki desu)

A versatile expression of love that can be used in various scenes including familial love, friendship, and romantic love. It can be used to confess one’s feelings as mentioned above.

10. “I like you a lot.” - 大好きです (Daisuki desu)

Used when one wants to convey a deeper level of affection then “Suki (好き)”.

11. “I love you.” - 愛してる (Aishiteru)

As previously mentioned, “Aishiteru” or the more formal version “Aishite imasu (愛しています)” is rarely used. It is usually reserved for important and serious occasions like marriage proposals, anniversaries and weddings.

Other Ways to Express Affection in Japanese

Apart from outright saying “I like you” or “I love you”, there are other ways to express affection for someone. Here are some Japanese romantic phrases you can use.

12. “I like that part of you.” - 君のそういうところが好き (Kimi no souiu tokoro ga suki)

This phrase is often used in a romantic or affectionate context when you want to express appreciation for a specific trait, habit, or characteristic of someone. It’s a more nuanced way to compliment someone, focusing on the aspects of their personality or behavior that you find endearing.

13. “I’m glad you’re with me.” - 君がいてくれてよかったです。(Kimi ga ite kurete yokatta desu)

This expression conveys deep appreciation for someone's presence and support. It’s often used to express feelings of relief, gratitude, or affection, especially after going through something challenging or meaningful together. It highlights the speaker’s happiness or gratitude for having the other person by their side.

14. “I miss you.” - 君がいないと寂しいよ。(Kimi ga inai to samishii yo)

This is a tender expression used to convey feelings of loneliness or longing for someone’s presence. It's often used in romantic relationships but can also apply to close friendships or family members when their absence is strongly felt.

15. “You’re very special to me.” - 君は私にとって大切な人です。(Kimi wa watashi ni totte taisetsu na hito desu)

A soft and sweet way to express affection, this phrase can be used to let someone know they have a unique and important place in your life.

16. “You hold a special place in my life.” - 君は私にとって特別な存在です。(Kimi wa watashi ni totte tokubetsuna sonzai desu)

Similar to the above phrase, this expression conveys deep appreciation and highlights the uniqueness of the person in the speaker's life. It suggests that the individual is not just important, but irreplaceable and cherished.

17. “I want to see you.” - 会いたいです。(Aitai desu)

This is an indirect phrase of expressing affection to someone. It is used to convey one’s desire to meet or be with someone, and missing their presence.

Terms of Endearment in Japanese

Japanese couples don’t often use the same terms of endearment as in the West (e.g., “baby” or “honey”). In Japan, it is polite to call someone by their surname attached with the suffix “-San”. Which is why calling someone by their given name (with or without suffix) is an indication of closeness.

18. “(Name)-chan / (Name)-kun” - ▲ちゃん・▲くん

In Japanese, adding "ちゃん" (chan) or "くん" (kun) after someone's name is a way of expressing familiarity and affection. It is common for couples to create nicknames for each other. “-Chan” is normally used for females while “-Kun” is for males, but there is no fixed rule for this, and so you might find boyfriends and husbands getting called “-Chan” and vice versa.

19. “Dear” - あなた (Anata)

”Anata” is an affectionate term wives usually use to call out to their husbands.

Proposing in Japanese

These are just examples of marriage proposals in Japanese. There are many ways to verbalise one’s feelings and you can make it more personal by adding on your hopes for the future together.

20. “Please marry me.” - 結婚してください (Kekkon shite kudasai)

This is the most common and straightforward way of proposing marriage.

21. “Please be with me.” - 一緒になってください (Issho ni natte kudasai)

This phrase can imply a long-term commitment, like a marriage proposal, but it can also be used to ask someone to stay by your side in a more general sense of unity and togetherness.

22. "Please stay by my side from now on, forever." - これからもずっと隣にいてください (Kore kara mo zutto tonari ni ite kudasai)

This phrase expresses a desire for the person to remain a constant presence in your life, implying both emotional and physical closeness for the future.

23. “I want us to be a family.” - 君と家族になりたい (Kimi to kazoku ni naritai)

This phrase is ideal for deep, meaningful conversations about the future, especially when expressing long-term commitment and love. It’s perfect for proposals or moments of profound emotional connection.

24. “I will definitely make you happy.” - 絶対幸せにするよ (Zettai shiwase ni suru yo)

This is a strong promise of happiness, showing a deep commitment to the other person’s well-being. It is a great intro before “Please marry me.”

25. “Let’s be happy together.” - 一緒に幸せになりましょう (Issho ni shiawase ni narimashou)

This phrase emphasises mutual happiness and the idea of building a joyful life together.

To Close

These phrases are ideal for romantic proposals, anniversary messages, or simply expressing deep affection and commitment. Each conveys a different level of intensity and emotional connection, making them versatile for various romantic situations.