5 Ways to Say “I Like You” in Japanese (Suki vs Daisuki) | Alex Rockin Japanese (2024)

One of the most commonly asked questions I receive from my readers is how to sayI like youin Japanese. So in today’s blog post, I’m finally going to cover the most popular Japanese phrases that you can use to tell someone that you like them in a romantic way or as a friend. As usual, let’s start with a quick answer to how to say “I like you” in Japanese.

The formal way to say “I like you” in Japanese is “Suki desu” (好きです) while “Suki da yo” (好きだよ) is the more casual phrase. Both phrases express a romantic interest in the other person and can also be translated as “I love you”. When you like someone as a friend you should say “Ki ni itta” (気に入った).

If you want to know why you shouldn’t use suki with friends even though it translates as “like” you will find the detailed answer below. I will also explain the difference between the two words suki (好き) and daisuki (大好き) and teach you a couple of other useful phrases such as “I really like you” and “I like you, too“.

How to Say “I Like You” in Japanese

In order to answer the question of how to sayI like youin Japanese, we first have to understand that there is a big difference in howI like youis used in the western world and in Japan. In western cultures, we often tell our friends or family members that we like (or love) them. In the more conservative Japanese culture, however, it is common to express one’s love and affection through actions. The phrase “I like youis rarely used.

If a Japanese person says “I like you” it has a way deeper meaning than when western people use it. That’s why the Japanese wordsuki” (好き) which is often translated as just “like” is actually closer to the English word love” and should only be used when you are romantically interested in someone.

1. Suki desu – “I Like You” (Formal)

Suki desu (好きです) is the formal phrase that you can use to tell someone “I like you” in Japanese. When said to a person suki (好き) usually means and translates as “like (in a romantic way)” or “to be in love with“. The word desu (です) at the end is a Japanese copula and makes the sentence sound more polite.

Suki desu.
好きです。
I like you (formal)

Instead of using “you” it is more common for the Japanese people to use the person’s name followed by an honorific title and the particle ga (が). For women, you should use the polite suffix chan (ちゃん), and for men, you should use the polite suffix kun (くん, 君). If you are not that close or want to sound politer you can also use the more formal honorific title san (さん).

Hina-chan ga suki desu.
ヒナちゃんが好きです。
I like you, Hina.

Naruto-kun ga suki desu.
ナルトくんが好きです。
I like you, Naruto.

Daisuke-san ga suki desu.
ダイスケさんが好きです。
I like you, Daisuke.

Sometimes you will also see the variation “Suki desu yo” (好きですよ). The sentence ending particle yo (よ) adds emphasis and makes the phrase sound slightly more casual. In my opinion, it is best to think of it as an exclamation mark and translate the sentence as “I like you!”.

Suki desu yo.
好きですよ。
I like you!

2. Suki da (yo) – “I Like You” (Casual)

Suki da” (好きだ) has the same meaning as “Suki desu” (好きです) but is the casual way to sayI like you” in Japanese. Da (だ) is the plain and more declarative version of the polite Japanese copula desu (です) and makes the sentence sound more casual.

Suki da.
好きだ。
I like you (casual)

In Japanese, it is also possible to say “I like youjust by saying the wordSuki” since the da isn’t needed to form a full sentence. You can also add the sentence ending particle yo (よ) to add more emphasis and use names instead of “you”, just like we did with the formal phrase before.

Suki.
好き。
I like you.

Suki da yo.
好きだよ。
I like you!

Sakura-chan ga suki da yo.
サクラちゃんが好きだよ。
I like you, Sakura!

Sasuke-kun ga suki.
サスケくんが好き。
I like you, Sasuke.

3. Ki ni Itta – “I Like You” (Just as a friend)

If you are not romantically interested in a person and just like them as a friend you should use the Japanese phraseKi ni itta” (気に入った). It means “to like“, “to be pleased with“, “to be delighted with“, or “to take a liking to“. You can add Anata, Kimi, or the name of the person plus the particle ga (が) to form the full sentences “I like you“.

Anata ga ki ni itta.
あなたが気に入った。
I like you (to a male friend)

Kimi ga ki ni itta.
君が気に入った。
I like you (to a female friend)

Kakashi-san ga ki ni itta.
カカシさんが気に入った。
I like you (as a friend), Kakashi.

4. Kimi (no koto) ga suki desu – “I Like You” (To a Woman)

When a man wants to confess their love to a woman they also often use the phrase “Kimi ga suki desu” (君が好きです) or “Kimi no koto ga suki desu” (君のことが好きです). Both phrases translate as “I like you“, but the latter one sounds more official and is often used when confessing one’s love for the first time.

Kimi ga suki desu.
君が好きです。
I like you.

Kimi no koto ga suki desu.
君のことが好きです。
I like you (sounds more official)

5. Anata (no koto) ga suki desu – “I Like You” (To a Man)

When a woman confesses that they like a man they usually use the word “anata” (あなた, 貴方) which is the gender-neutral word for “you”. So “Anata ga suki desu” (あなたが好きです) or “Anata no koto ga suki desu” (あなたのことが好きです) are also correct. However, it is actually very common to omit the word “you”.

Anata ga suki desu.
あなたが好きです。
I like you.

Anata no koto ga suki desu.
あなたのことが好きです。
I like you (more official sounding)

Just in case you are interested the full accurate sentence would actually be “Watashi wa anata ga suki desu” (私はあなたが好きです) for females and “Watashi wa kimi ga suki desu” (私は君が好きです) or “Boku wa kimi ga suki desu” (僕は君が好きです) for males. However, this sounds very unnatural since “I” (watashi or boku) is usually omitted. You will only find that kind of sentence in textbooks.

Suki vs Daisuki – What’s the Difference?

The difference between “suki” (好き) and “daisuki” (大好き) is that the latter one conveys stronger and deeper feelings of love. “Suki” translates as “like” or “I like you” and is used before the start of a relationship. “Daisuki” means “love” or “I love you” and is used in an established relationship.

The same goes for the word “Aishiteru” by the way. If you want to know more about the meaning of the word and why Japanese rarely say it, you can check out my other blog post “What Does “Aishiteru” Mean in Japanese“.

How to Say “I Like You Too” in Japanese

Watashi mo” (私も) can be used as a reply to someone who tells you that they like you in Japanese and translates as “I like you, too“. The full formal phrase would be “Watashi mo anata ga suki desu” (私もあなたが好きです) while the more casual response would be “Watashi mo anata ga suki da” (私もあなたが好きだ).

  • Watashi mo
    私も。
    Me, too.
  • Watashi mo anata ga suki desu
    私もあなたが好きです。
    I like you, too
  • Watashi mo anata ga suki da (yo)
    私もあなたが好きだ(よ)。
    I like you, too.
  • Watashi mo anata no koto ga suki desu
    私もあなたのことが好きです。
    I like you, too.

Men can also use “Boku mo” (僕も) instead of “Watashi mo” (私も) to say “I like you, too” in Japanese. Furthermore, instead of “anata” (あなた) you should probably use the word “kimi” (君) for “you”.

  • Boku mo
    僕も。
    Me, too.
  • Boku mo kimi ga suki desu
    僕も君が好きです。
    I like you, too
  • Boku mo kimi ga suki da (yo)
    僕も君が好きだ(よ)。
    I like you, too.
  • Boku mo kimi no koto ga suki desu
    僕も君のことが好きです。
    I like you, too.

“I Really Like You” or “I Like You a Lot” in Japanese

To say “I really like you” in Japanese you can either say “Totemo suki desu” (とても好きです), “Hontou ni suki desu” (本当に好きです), or “Sugoku suki ni natta” (すごく好きになった). You can also use the word daisuki instead of suki and say “Daisuki desu” (大好きです) which translates as “I love you” or “I like you a lot“.

I have just published a full blog post focusing on the translation and meaning of the Japanese word “daisuki”, so if you want to know more about the word I highly recommend you to read it. It includes a lot of example sentences.

“I Think I Like You” in Japanese

Anata ga suki ni natta mitai” (あなたが好きになったみたい) is the phrase you can use to say, “I think I like you” in Japanese. However, this is not a very frequently used phrase since Japanese people are more reserved about their feelings and only confess them when they are sure, so I don’t recommend using it.

5 Ways to Say “I Like You” in Japanese (Suki vs Daisuki) | Alex Rockin Japanese (2024)

FAQs

What is the more poetic way of saying I love you in Japanese? ›

愛しています (Aishite imasu) – This is the formal version of 愛してる, often used in serious declarations of love, particularly in public or formal situations. 大好きだ (Daisuki da) – Less intense than 愛してる, this phrase means “I really like you” or “I love you” in a lighter, more casual sense.

How do you say "I like you" in Japanese to a boy? ›

  1. Ai – 愛 Meaning: love. Pronunciation: ah-ee (or “aye”, like a sea captain) About: Does Japanese have a word for love? ...
  2. Suki desu – 好きです Meaning: I like (you) Pronunciation: skee dehs. ...
  3. Daisuki desu – 大好きです Meaning: I really like (you) Pronunciation: dah-ee-skee dehs.

How do Japanese call their lovers? ›

Koibito, 恋人

In the Japanese language, “koibito” is made from two kanji. the first is koi, which means “love”. The second is hito, which means “person”. Together, the two kanji mean “the person you love,” which should make remembering when to use it relatively easy.

What are the different versions of I love You in Japanese? ›

The basics
HiraganaKanji + HiraganaNote
(あなたを)あいしています。(あなたを)愛しています。Polite, formal, and serious
(きみが)だいすきだよ。(君が)大好きだよ。Casual
(あなたが)だいすきです。(あなたが)大好きです。Polite
(きみが)すきだよ。(君が)好きだよ。Casual
2 more rows
Aug 28, 2023

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. You know how sometimes in English, we'll say, for example: ‍"I love [my mom], but I don't really like her." ‍(If you're reading this, Mom, we're not talking about me, of course.)

Is it daisuki or aishiteru? ›

大好き (daisuki): I like you very much/to like a lot. 愛してる (aishiteru): I love you.

Does "suki" mean love? ›

SUKI does have both meanings, "to like" and "to love". There IS a word, "to love" in Japanese (AISHITEMASU) but we'd rather use SUKI DESU.

How do Japanese call their crush? ›

Some people say -kun or -chan, some say -san, and some just use a plain name without a suffix, or a nickname. Some say "honey" or "darling", immitating English. There's no social rule for what you should call your lover, or even a close friend.

What does Kimi ga Suki mean? ›

Kimi ga suki desu. I like you very much. Daisuki (casual) Daisuki desu. I love you.

Can I call my boyfriend Kun? ›

Kun is a semi-formal title for a man—primarily men younger or the same age as the speaker. Most frequently used for girls and small children, close friends, or lovers. Occasionally may be used to refer to a boy, but in most situations would be inappropriate.

Can I call my girlfriend Chan? ›

ちゃん/-chan

It is not appropriate in a work environment, but can be a nice, cute nickname for friends or romantic partners. It's typically used for young women you're close with, children, babies and animals, and can even be used for beloved older relatives, like a grandmother.

How can I call my lover? ›

Romantic nicknames for your boyfriend
  1. My Sweet Love.
  2. Love of My Life.
  3. Heart's Dearest.
  4. Dear.
  5. My Whole Heart.
  6. Dreamboat.
  7. Lover.
  8. Lovely.
Jun 8, 2023

What does Suki Dayo mean? ›

Suki Dayo (好きだよ) – 'I like you'

Likewise, Suki Dayo in Japanese also means 'I like you', but in this case it is masculine and as such is mainly used casually by boys.

What does koi love mean? ›

The Japanese koi, or "carp," is a homophone for a word meaning "love," and they've come to symbolize love and friendship.

How do you poetically say "I love you"? ›

"You are the best thing that has ever happened to me." "You feel like home." "I never knew how beautiful life could be until I met you." "You are my forever."

What is the poetic way of saying "I love you too" in Japanese moon? ›

“The moon is beautiful, isn't it?” could mean “I love you” in Japanese. It can be used to express romantic feelings indirectly, which is the norm in Japanese culture. The most popular response is “Shin demo ii wa” (I can die happy), which is a way of saying “I love you too.”

What is the most romantic thing to say in Japanese? ›

I love you: Aishiteru yo (愛してるよ). I miss you: Anata ni aitai desu (あなたに会いたいです). I fell in love at first sight – Hitomebore shimashita (一目惚れしました).

How many ways can you say "I love you" in Japanese? ›

Most people simply say, "Ai shiteru," but you could also say, "Ai shiteru yo 愛してるよ," which translates to something more along the lines of "I love you, you know." The yo ending adds emphasis and makes it a little more casual.

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