![]() ![]() At one point I started feeling hurt because he never said ‘I love you’-or at least what I thought was the Japanese equivalent. Even though my Japanese boyfriend of two years spoke English impeccably, he liked speaking to me in Japanese and that was the only language we spoke together. ![]() The Japanese words for ‘love’ and ‘like’, 愛 and 好き, are two such examples. The same word can also have several different nuances depending on the context in which it is used, and it’s rare that all the possible nuances of a Japanese word directly correspond with those of any English word. This is what your dictionary will probably tell you, but it’s important to understand that some Japanese words simply have no precise English equivalent, and vice-versa. You may have learned that 好き means ‘like,’ and that the Japanese word for ‘love’ is 愛. Photo by pjan vandaele So how do you say ‘love’ in japanese? ![]() Let’s stop and explain before our love story gets lost in translation. Whoah, whoah, wait a minute…Cut! ‘I like you?’ Is that it, really?! Well no-it’s not. You have to just say it! Finally, you blurt it out: You can feel your friend’s eyes on you from across the table, but you don’t dare look up. Barely able to contain your nerves, you look down at your coffee cup and stammer:Īno sa, chotto iitai koto ga aru n dakedo… ![]() Tonight’s the night you’re going to do it: you’re going to confess your feelings. The parties don’t happen that often, but you make sure to go to every one just so you can have the chance to meet that intriguing person again.Īfter several such parties during which the two of you spend most of the time talking together, one night, you nervously suggest going somewhere else for a cup of coffee. Well, maybe we’ll meet again at the next party. You hit it off with an engaging conversation that goes on all night, and before parting ways you say: So now picture this: You spot an attractive guy or girl at a party and work up the guts to approach him or her. Photo by Stuck in Customs I like you in Japanese Between two Japanese people, though, the scenario tends to go quite differently. I love you, I love you, I love you…Īnd that right there is a pretty typical description of how a romantic relationship tends to develop between two Westerners. Sometimes you say it just because you want to say it and you want to hear it. Now the two of you start talking on the phone every day, and every time before you hang up you say ‘I love you.’ You continue to go on dates, and you always say ‘I love you’ before you part ways for the evening. So one evening after yet another amazing dinner together, you look your sweetie in the eye and say those three magic words: ‘I love you.’ The words are returned and you’re in heaven. You continue to go on dates regularly, and after a while you feel sure that this person is really someone special. I LOVE YOU IN JAPANESE MOVIEThe two of you enjoy dinner and a movie and feel even more attracted to each other. You hit it off with an engaging conversation that goes on all night, and before parting ways, you exchange phone numbers.Ī couple of days later, you call and ask your new acquaintance out on a date. Picture this: You spot an attractive guy or girl at a party and work up the guts to approach him or her. With Japanese, however, things can get a bit tricky unless you know quite what to say when. Saying ‘I love you’ is never easy, regardless of whether it’s in one’s mother tongue or not. ![]()
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