How to say Love in Japanese: Ai, Koi, and more!
The Japanese concept of “love” is very different from English! In English, we use “love” to describe everything from the love of your life to your love of ice cream.
However, Japanese people don’t use the word “love” casually and it’s mostly used in romantic situations. People don’t tell each other “I love you” between family and friends. This means that there are lots of ways to express “love” even if you don’t say the word directly.
Words for “love” in Japanese
If you look up the word for “love” in Japanese, you’ll likely come up with several words. Although they all mean “love” in some capacity, it’s important to know the differences.
愛 – Ai – Love
One of the most broad words that means love is ai. This is an extremely strong word that’s generally only said out loud in romantic situations. Most people don’t use this word to each other even within couples. However, the meaning also includes the love you feel for platonic relationships or your pets. Side note: make sure not to use this to end letters like in English!
愛するペットと別れるのは辛い
Aisuru petto to wakareru no wa tsurai
It’s hard to separate from a beloved pet.
愛情 – Aijou – Love or affection
This is a word that refers more towards giving love to something. For example, it can express the affection that parents will show to their children.
愛情を込めて料理を作る。
Aijou o komete ryouri o tsukuru.
I put love and affection into the food I make.
恋 – koi – Romantic love
Koi can mean the broader sense of romantic love and your feelings. Keep in mind that this word is only used to mean romantic love. You also normally don’t say this to the person you love. Instead, use it to describe your romantic feelings. It can also be used to say that you’re falling in love.
これって恋かしら！？
Korette koi kashira!?
Could this be love!?
恋愛 – renai – Romantic love (can refer to relationships)
This word is more about the relationship part of love. However, it can basically mean the same thing as koi.
恋愛経験が無い
Renai keiken ga nai
I don’t have relationship experience.
可愛がる – kawaigaru – to love or to cherish
Kawaigaru uses the word kawaii, which means “cute”. If you find something “cute” you probably feel love towards it. This phrase is less about romantic feelings but more about caring for something that you love. It could be used to describe how a grandparent feels towards a grandchild, or a pet owner and pet.
可愛がっている孫にお菓子を買った。
Kawaigatteiru mago ni okashi o katta.
I bought a snack for the grandchild that I love.
好き – suki – to like (or love)
This is a lighter word than ai. It can be used in romantic situations but also when you like a specific flavor of ice cream. This word might be closer to the way that “love” is used in English. Keep in mind, that you still wouldn’t say this in non-romantic relationships. Only use it to talk about objects you like, and people you have a romantic interest.
あの俳優が好き！
Ano haiyuu ga suki!
I like(love) that actor!
愛(ai) vs. 恋(koi)
Japanese learners are often confused about the difference between the words ai and koi. Here are some ways that you can differentiate them:
- Ai is a much bigger concept and generally long lasting. It describes a “love” that’s very strong and can apply to both romantic and non-romantic love.
- Koi is the romantic feeling of attraction. It’s usually less deep and can describe the beginning stages of a relationship. Once you’re in a long term relationship, it’s likely that you feel ai and not koi.
- The way you use the two words are also different. Koishiteru means “I’m in love” but aishiteru means “I love you”.
How to say “to fall in love” or “to be in love”.
恋に落ちる – koi ni ochiru – to fall in love
This is the best Japanese phrase for “to fall in love”. It literally uses the verb 落ちる(ochiru) which means to fall.
惚れる – horeru – to fall in love
This is a light phrase that can be used to express the feeling of falling in love. It’s not as intense as koi ni ochiru. It can express the initial attraction you might feel towards someone.
恋をする – koi o suru – to be in love
In Japanese, being in love is expressed by saying “doing love”. Suru means “to do”.
好きになる- suki ni naru – to be in love
This expresses how you start to like someone. Since Japanese people don’t often say the word “love” directly, suki ni naru can also express being in love.
How to say “I love you” and “I like you”
愛してる – aishiteru – I love you
This is the strongest and ultimate phrase of love. It would only be used towards a romantic partner. In Japanese, people don’t say they love each other very often, so make sure it’s the right person before saying this.
世界で一番愛してる – sekai de ichiban aishiteru – I love you the most in the world
If you want to add more to the phrase “I love you”, you can add that you love them the most in the whole world.
好き – suki – I like you
The most common way to express your feeling of love could be with suki. Since ai is such a strong word, you’ll want to use this in most cases.
大好き – daisuki – I like you a lot
Daisuki means that you really like the other person. It can be a nice way to express your love without it being as strong as ai.
世界で一番好き – sekai de ichiban suki – I like you the most in the world
If you want to increase the strength of the phrase, just add that you like them the most in the world.
Other romantic phrases to express love:
Although some of the English translations don’t sound as romantic, in Japanese these would all be very romantic phrases.
一緒にいると楽しい – issho ni iru to tanoshii – It’s fun to be with you.
ずっとそばにいてくれる？ – zutto soba ni ite kureru? – Can you be with me forever?
出会えてよかった。- deaete yokatta – I’m glad we met.
守ってあげる。- mamotte ageru. – I’ll protect you.
あなたの事しか考えられない。- Anata no koto shika kangaerarenai – I can only think about you.
Non-romantic phrases to express love
If you want to express non-romantic love in Japanese, the best way is to do it with actions and showing your appreciation. In Japanese culture it’s not common to express feelings of platonic love in words. If you really want to say something to express your love, try these out!
いつもありがとう – itsumo arigatou – Thank you, always.
感謝している – kansha shiteiru – I’m grateful
友達でいてくれてありがとう。- tomodachi de ite kurete arigatou – Thanks for being my friend
I hope that you’ve learned some new ways to say and express love in Japanese! If you’re interested in my other Japanese learning blog articles be sure to check out How to Ask for Directions in Japanese or How to Say Yes and No in Japanese
~Tanuki