Feelings
How to say “I love you” in Chinese
“我爱你” (wǒ ài nǐ) means I love you and is used between partners. Many Chinese families do not say it out loud; “爱” is serious. To say you like someone, say “我喜欢你” (wǒ xǐhuan nǐ).
In Chinese
我爱你
wǒ ài nǐ
I love you
Other ways to say “I love you”
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我喜欢你
wǒ xǐhuan nǐ
I like you
Lighter; the usual first step in a romance or a friendly feeling.
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我想你
wǒ xiǎng nǐ
I miss you
Also “i think of you”.
-
我很爱你
wǒ hěn ài nǐ
I love you very much
Stronger.
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我爱你，妈妈
wǒ ài nǐ, māma
I love you, Mum
Families show love through actions more than words, so this is touching and rare.
Example sentences
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我爱你，永远爱你。
wǒ ài nǐ, yǒngyuǎn ài nǐ.
I love you, I'll always love you.
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我喜欢你，你愿意做我的女朋友吗？
wǒ xǐhuan nǐ, nǐ yuànyì zuò wǒ de nǚpéngyou ma?
I like you, will you be my girlfriend?
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我想你了。
wǒ xiǎng nǐ le.
I miss you.
How to reply
我也爱你
wǒ yě ài nǐ
I love you too
Good to know
- “爱” is a strong word. Between friends and family people more often say “我喜欢你” or show care by cooking and helping.
- On 520 (五二零, wǔ èr líng), which sounds like “我爱你”, couples exchange messages and gifts, so you may see “520” online.
Questions about “I love you” in Chinese
How do you say “I love you” in Chinese?
“I love you” in Chinese is “我爱你” (I love you). It is written in pinyin as wǒ ài nǐ. You can also say “我喜欢你”, “我想你”, “我很爱你”.
How do you pronounce “我爱你” in Chinese?
“我爱你” is pronounced wǒ ài nǐ. Tap the speaker on this page to hear it.
What are other ways to say “I love you” in Chinese?
“我喜欢你” (I like you): lighter; the usual first step in a romance or a friendly feeling. “我想你” (I miss you): also “I think of you”. “我很爱你” (I love you very much): stronger. “我爱你，妈妈” (I love you, Mum): families show love through actions more than words, so this is touching and rare.
How do you reply to “我爱你”?
A natural reply is “我也爱你” (I love you too).
Practise it, don't just read it.
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