In most languages, telling someone you love them is simple. Not so in Japanese. In Japan it is not common to express feelings directly and there are a number of ways to say ‘I Love You’
‘Suki’ is a popular word used in expressions to say ‘I Love You’. It literally means ‘Like’ but is popular to use to express love. ‘Suki desu’ means ‘I like’ but also a more indirect way of saying ‘I Love You’. ‘Daisuki desu’ is a more informal way of saying ‘I really like you’. Males sometimes will use the version ‘Suki da’ and females ‘Suki yo’. If you are in the Kansai region of Japan, you may hear ‘Suki yanen’ which is dialect for ‘I Love You’ or ‘I Love It’.
Of course there are phrases in Japanese to directly express love. ‘Ai’ is the word for love. Aishite Imasu – This is a literal translation of ‘I love you’. Ai shite iru wa – This term for ‘I love you’ is used by females.
The Japanese also use the English loanword equivalent to love by pronouncing it as rabu. Here are a few examples: 1. Rabu retaa – Love letter 2. Rabu shiin – Love scene 3. Rabu Rabu – Used by young people when they are very much in love.
Although you can learn words and phrases that express love, it is good to remember that in Japan it is not common to express opinions and feelings directly. That’s why many Japanese couples don’t say ‘I Love You’ often. Love is shown through actions and not so much through words.
If using words to express feeling is difficult, there is another way. Instead of actually saying what they feel, often Japanese people will use actions not words. For example a simple gift or favor like cooking dinner would be much appreciated and will show love instead of having to say it directly.
Learn the correct pronunciation for these phrases. To hear native speaker pronunciation for these common Japanese phrases visit http://www.learn-hiragana-katakana.com
