One of the most commonly asked questions I receive from my readers is how to say “I like you” in 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“.
In order to answer the question of how to say “I like you” in Japanese, we first have to understand that there is a big difference in how “I like you” is 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 you” is 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 word “suki” (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 say “I 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 you” just by saying the word “Suki” 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 phrase “Ki 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.
The best way to tell someone “I like you” in Japanese is to use either the casual 好き (suki) or the formal 好きです (suki desu).
It’s important to know that the distinction between “I like you” and “I love you” in Japanese is a little blurred, compared to English.
Although saying “I love you” in Japanese could be better expressed through 大好き (daisuki) or 愛している (aishiteru), sometimes it can be felt through 好き (suki) as well.
That’s why the context and the way you say 好き (suki) will determine whether you tell someone you like them or love them.
However, there are ways to explicitly emphasise that you like someone as a friend in Japanese to avoid misunderstanding.
Furthermore, there are plenty of ways to generally complement a particular feature or part of someone by telling them you like them in Japanese too. This includes ways of describing someone as being a very likeable person.
It’s important to know that the best way to address someone as “you” in Japanese is to call them by their actual name, even when you’re talking to that person directly. Therefore the following entries will have [name] as a placeholder. This also means you can use these entries to talk about [name] to someone else entirely. No need to fuss over pronoun usage here!
Each entry is accompanied by an audio clip with a native Japanese speaker for your reference.
- I like you.
好き。
suki.
The best way to tell someone that you like them in Japanese is to use 好き (suki). You can use 好き (suki) just like that, as a standalone without any pronouns. This is because you don’t need to use pronouns when speaking in Japanese. This makes everything really easy to understand!
Therefore if you were to say to someone: 好き (suki), you are saying “I like you” to them in Japanese. Although 好き (suki) doesn’t explicitly mean “I love you”, it can be interpreted as a confession if you were to randomly blurt it out.
There are other ways you can use 好き (suki) to tell someone you like them to avoid confusion.
Confessing You Like Someone in Japanese
The first is to be much more direct with the intention and meaning behind your words. To achieve this, use 好きだ (suki da) with the inclusion of だ (da).
- I like you.
好きだ。
sukida.
When you tell someone 好きだ (suki da), you’re emphasising the finality of your speech. This is because だ (da) functions as a kind of final-sentence marker that expresses the certainty in your words. This means that when you tell someone 好きだ (suki da), they will 100% assume that you are confessing to them that you like them as more than just a friend.
It is a very direct way that ensures the person knows that you like them.
Another way to express that you like them more than a friend is to say:
- [name] のことが好き。
[name] no koto ga suki.
I like you.
As the most natural way to address the person you’re talking with is to use their name rather than using “you” in Japanese, simply replace the above [name] with the person’s actual name.
When you use the above phrase, you’re telling the person that you like them and who they are. This is because of こと (koto). When paired with の (no) the possessive grammar particle, you express that you like the person for who they are.
Literally speaking, こと (koto) means an “intangible thing” in Japanese. Therefore you’re quite literally telling them that you like things about them.
Recommended: How to say I Miss You in Japanese [Ultimate Guide].
I Like You As a Friend in Japanese
The second way is to emphasise slightly more that you like a person in general. You can do this with 好きだよ (suki da yo) which mellows down the confession-like feeling depending on the context.
For instance, imagine someone asks you if you like someone in general. You could reply:
- その人？ うん、普通に好きだよ。
sono hito? un, futsuu ni suki da yo.
That person? Yeah, I like them.
When spoken like this, the emphasis on liking someone romantically is lessened. You’re not implying that you like them in a romantic way, as opposed to simply saying 好き (suki). You can be even more specific though, and completely friendzone someone by telling them:
- 友達として好きだよ。
tomodachi toshite suki da yo.
I like you as a friend.
Note that the sentence above can be interpreted as “I like you as a friend”, or “I like them as a friend” depending on the context. It is also the most direct way to safely confirm that you like someone strictly as a friend.
The first word that appears is 友達 (tomodachi), which means “friend” in Japanese. Next is として (toshite), a grammar point that can be paired with any Japanese noun to express “as”. Lastly is 好きだよ (suki da yo) which we have confirmed to mean “like you”.
Combined together the complete phrase is literally the exact same as the translation. You can’t go wrong with accidentally confusing someone with this phrase!
The Kanji for Like
The kanji for “like” in Japanese is 好. It can be associated with other meanings such as “fondness” or “pleasing”.
It does appear in other words, however, the most common is 好き (suki).
It’s also worth remembering that although simply saying 好き (suki) is enough to express your fondness for someone despite the lack of pronouns, 好き (suki) can also be used to refer to objects.
For instance, if someone were to ask you if you like sushi, you could reply with 好き (suki), which means “I like it”.
Formal Way to say I Like You in Japanese
- I like you (formal speech).
好きです。
suki desu.
It’s important to adjust your speech depending on whom you are talking with. This is because Japanese is an honorific language with different styles of speech to express different levels of politeness.
When speaking with those who are of a higher social status than yourself, such as a manager, a teacher, or even a stranger you need to speak with increased politeness by using Keigo.
Although you most likely won’t be telling a stranger “I like you” in Japanese, you may however express those words to someone who is older than you. Especially in a school or work setting, addressing your upperclassmen, known as 先輩 (senpai), or superiors with polite speech is important.
To express that you like someone formally in Japanese, simply attach です (desu) to 好き (suki), making 好きです (suki desu).
Similar to how 好き (suki) functions when on its own (explained above), 好きです(suki desu) can also be used to say that you like someone (or something) in general, or as someone more than a friend.
Using the phrase 好きです (suki desu) has the implication of being a confession. Whereas, 好きですよ (suki desu yo) is a much lighter expression that conveys the implications of just liking someone in general.
Despite this, it ultimately comes down to the context beforehand. To ensure clarity, you could always say:
- 友達として好きですよ。
tomodachi toshite suki desu yo.
I like you as a friend (formal).
This way, even in polite speech you can ensure no misunderstandings will happen.
I Like You Too in Japanese
- I like you too.
私も好きだよ。
watashi mo suki da yo.
If someone tells you that they like you, and you also like them too, you can reply with 私も好きだよ (watashi mo suki da yo).
Similar to English, telling someone directly that you like them too as a response can be interpreted as a confession on your end.
This phrase is made up of three parts. Firstly, 私 (watashi) is the word for “I” in Japanese. Although you should omit pronouns where possible to sound more natural, you need to include “I” this time. This is because the following word is も (mo) a Japanese particle that means “also” and sentences in Japanese do not start with particles.
The last part is 好きだよ (suki da yo) which we’ve already established to mean “like” in Japanese.
Unlike the pronoun for “I”, you can omit the pronoun for “you” in this sentence if you are talking to the person directly.
Specifying Who You Like Too – Pronouns
If you need to specify who it is that you also like, you can do so by referring to the person by their name, even if you are speaking to them directly.
In the case that you are speaking with that very person, calling them by their name functions the exact way as “you” does in English.
This means that the best way to call someone “you” in Japanese is to use their actual name. You can use the following sentence structure:
- [name] のことも好きだよ。
[name] no koto mo suki.
I like you/[name] too.
The biggest difference with this sentence is the inclusion of も (mo) to emphasise the “also” or “too”.
To make this formal, simply change 好きだよ (suki da yo), to 好きですよ (suki desu yo). This makes it 私も好きですよ (watashi mo suki desu yo).
The complete phrase is understood as a confession, so it can be seen as the most complete way to express your feelings for someone in Japanese.
Asking Someone Out in Japanese
When confessing in Japanese, you may also wish to ask the person out. You can do this in polite or casual speech depending on who you’re talking with.
If you’re looking to take your relationship to the next level with your friend, you can say:
- 付き合ってくれる？
tsukiattekureru?
Will you go out with me?
For anyone with whom you have a relationship that’s a little different to just friends, such as a co-worker or upperclassman, known as 先輩 (senpai), you’ll want to say:
- 付き合ってください。
tsukiatte kudasai.
Please go out with me.
Both expressions share 付き合って (tsukiatte), the te-form of the verb 付き合う (tsukiau), with means “to go out with” in English.
The te-form has many uses, however, in this case, it enables the sentence to continue, as Japanese sentences typically end in verbs.
The main difference between the two expressions after 付き合って (tsukiatte) is that the casual variant ends with くれる (kureru), whereas, the formal ends with ください (kudasai).
Firstly, the くれる (kureru) in 付き合ってくれる？ (tsukiatte kureru) emphasises the expression as a question. くれる (kureru) is typically attached to the end of te-form verbs to add a nuance of “for me” to the expression.
It is necessary here as you’re the one asking if someone could accept your proposal and go out with you, and くれる (kureru) emphasises that.
Secondly, the formal 付き合ってください (tsukiatte kudasai) features ください (kudasai), which is a polite way of saying “please” in Japanese.
Another function of the te-form is that it emphasises a request. ください (kudasai) is also typically attached to the end of te-form verbs, which transforms the phrase into a polite request.
With 付き合ってください (tsukiatte kudasai), you’re making a formal request to go out with someone.
We Are Dating in Japanese
If you end up together, you can say:
- 私たちは付き合っている。
watashitachi ha tsukiwatteiru.
We are dating.
The word 付き合っている (tsukiatteiru) is the present progressive form of the verb 付き合う (tsukiau), meaning to go out with. This form is used to describe an action that is ongoing. Similar to how verbs end in “ing” in English. In this case, 付き合っている (tsukiatteiru) means “dating”.
私 (watashi) is the pronoun “I” in Japanese, and たち (tachi) is the suffix that makes it plural. This means that 私たち (watashitachi) means “we”.
You can use 私たちは付き合っている (watashitachi ha tsukiatteiru) to state that you two are a couple and are currently dating.
The Japanese word for Confession
The word for confession in Japanese is:
- 告白。
kokuhaku.
Confession.
You may want to express to your friends how someone’s confessed to you.
To do this, you can say:
- 彼に告白された！
kare ni kokuhaku sareta!
He confessed to me!
Or perhaps you are the one doing the confessing!
- さき告白した！
saki kokuhaku shita!
I just confessed!
Asking Do You Like Me? in Japanese
Perhaps you have a suspicion that someone likes you, or maybe you’re just curious and want to know. To ask this question, you can say:
- Do you like me?
私のことが好き？
watashi no koto ga suki?
It’s important to know that when you use this expression, you’re asking specifically if the other person likes you as more than a friend.
私の (watashi no) consists of 私 (watashi), meaning “I”, and の (no), the Japanese possessive particle. When this particle is combined with 私 (watashi), the meaning changes to “my”.
Literally speaking, こと (koto) is referred to as “intangible things”. However, when talking about the こと (koto) of a person, you refer to the very elements, the features that make them who they are.
が (ga) is another Japanese particle that defines the subject of the sentence. The speaker is asking if they are liked by someone, so the speaker themselves are the subject.
We know that 好き (suki) means “like”, therefore when you ask someone 私のことが好き？ (watashi no koto ga suki), you are really asking them if they like you.
Complimenting Someone
You can use 好き (suki) to say what you like specifically like about someone in Japanese. Complimenting someone on their appearance or personality for example is similar to English in that it does not always have romantic connotations.
With that said, it entirely depends on the context, the situation, and your relationship with that person.
In this section, we’ll cover all the ways to express what it is you like about someone in particular.
It’s important to note that in the following entries, pronouns are not required. Simply replace [name] with the person’s actual name.
Even when talking with the person directly, you should use their name. This is the most natural way to address someone in Japanese.
This means that you can take any of the following expressions, replace [name] with the person’s actual name, and it’ll function the same as saying “you” specifically.
You can also use any of the expressions below to say what you like about someone to someone else. This is because there are no pronouns, making these expressions extremely flexible.
I Like Your Personality in Japanese
- I like your personality.
[name]の人柄が好き。
[name] no hitogara ga suki.
The most natural way to say personality in Japanese is 人柄 (hitogara). This word is a noun that has the meaning of one’s “personality”, “character”, or “personal appearance”.
人柄 (hitogara) has two kanji. The first is 人, which means “person” in Japanese. Secondly, 柄 has a few meanings such as “design” or “pattern”, however, it can also mean “essential qualities”, “character” or “one’s nature”.
This means when you use 人柄 (hitogara) you’re referring to one’s character and nature as a whole.
You can also describe what it is you like about their personality, by saying how it’s beautiful for instance.
To make this expression formal, attach です (desu) to the end of 好き (suki), making it 好きです (suki desu).
I Like Your Fashion Sense in Japanese
- I like your fashion sense.
[name] のファッションセンスが好き。
[name] no fasshon sensu ga suki.
The word for fashion sense in Japanese is ファッションセンス (fasshon sensu). It is a word that has been borrowed from English, referred to as a “loan word”. For more information on katakana and loan words, refer to this ultimate guide.
The word ファッションセンス (fasshon sensu) has the same meaning as “fashion sense” does in English. The challenging part though is to adopt the correct pronunciation. Refer to the audio clip above, as it is pronounced slightly different to that of English.
It’s also possible to drop the ファッション (fasshon) part and just compliment someone on their sense.
- [name] のセンスが好き。
[name] no sensu ga suki.
I like your taste (in things).
Although we probably wouldn’t express to someone how much we like their “sense” in English, in Japanese it’s possible to do. For instance, if you like someone’s overall taste in things, their style and character, you can refer to it all as センス (sensu).
Attach です (desu) to the end of the sentence to make it formal.
I Like Your Sense of Humour in Japanese
There are a few ways to express that you like someone’s sense of humour in Japanese. The first is to say it directly, by saying:
- I like your sense of humour.
[name] のユーモアのセンスが好き。
[name] no yu-moa no sensu ga suki.
The word ユーモアのセンス (yu-moa no sensu) is, like the entry above, borrowed from English and is known as a “load word”. The の (no) which appears in the centre of the word is the possessive grammar particle. You use it to connect nouns together. In this case, it functions similarly to the English “of”, with the complete meaning being “sense of humour”.
The word ユーモア directly translates to the English word ” humour” and センス translates as “sense”.
Another way to express that you find someone funny is to simply say:
- [name] は面白い！
[name] ha omoshiroi!
You’re hilarious/interesting.
The word 面白い (omoshiroi) is an i-adjective that can mean both “funny” and “interesting” in Japanese. Which meaning you want to use depends on the context of the situation.
But generally, if you’re laughing and showing a degree of happiness, telling someone that they’re 面白い (omoshiroi) would mean that you’re telling them that you think they’re funny.
It is also possible to simply shout out 面白い (omoshiroi) in Japanese. When you say 面白い (omoshiroi) by itself, you infer that you think the other person is funny or interesting.
- 面白い！
omoshiroi!
That’s hilarious/interesting.
To make any of these expressions formal, simply attachです (desu) to the end. For example, the casual 面白い (omoshiroi)! would become the formal 面白いです (omoshiroi desu)
I Like Your Kindness in Japanese
- I like how kind you are.
[name] の優しさが好き。
[name] no yasashisa ga suki.
The word you can use to talk about “kindness” in Japanese is 優しさ (yasashisa).
優しさ originates from the i-adjective やさしい (yasashii), meaning “kind”. It has been conjugated into the sa-form which essentially adds the nuance of “ness” to the word.
This means that by conjugating the adjective from 優しい (yasashii) to the sa-form it becomes 優しさ (yasashisa), and the meaning changes from “kind” to “kindness”.
Another function of the sa-form is that it also transforms adjectives into nouns. Therefore, we can express that we like it.
The kanji that appears here is 優, which means “tenderness” “excel” or “gentleness”.
I Like Spending Time With You in Japanese
- I like to spend time with you.
[name] と過ごす時間が好き。
[name] to sugosu jikan ga suki.
To express that you like spending time with someone in Japanese, say their name followed by the sentence と過ごす時間が好き (to sugosu jikan ga suki). Attaching です (desu) after 好き (suki) will make it formal.
When you say と (to) straight after saying the person’s name, you’re saying “with you” in Japanese. This is because you can use と (to) to connect nouns, or in this case, two people together. Essentially と (to) functions as “with”.
The word 過ごす (sugosu) is a verb that means “to spend” in Japanese. You will mostly pair this word with the word for “time”, which is the next word that follows. Time in Japanese is 時間 (jikan).
When 過ごす (sugosu) and 時間 (jikan) and paired together, you create the meaning “spend time”.
As 時間 (jikan) is a noun, we can attach the final part of the phrase が好き (ga suki) without making any modifications.
Which completes the expression as [name]と過ごす時間が好き ([name]to sugosu jikan ga suki).
I Think I Like You in Japanese
- I think I like you.
[name] が好きになったみたい。
[name] ga suki ni natta mitai.
Just like the above entries, to address someone as “you” in Japanese, you have to refer to them by their actual name, even if you’re talking with them directly.
You can use this phrase to express how you think you like someone in Japanese. Just like in English, when telling someone that you think you like them, you’re also arguably confessing to them.
Simply saying the first part of this expression [name] が好き ([name] ga suki), you’re already telling the person you like them. We covered this in the first entry!
The rest of the phrase can be understood as two parts. The first is the section that follows immediately after 好き (suki). These words are になった (ni natta).
The word なった (natta) is the past tense of the verb なる (naru) which means “to become”. Therefore, なった (natta) means “became”.
The preceding に (ni) is the grammar particle that always accompanies なる (naru) to connect it to a preceding non-verb.
If you were to say the sentence up to this point, excluding the last part みたい (mitai), the meaning would be:
- [name] が好きになった。
[name] ga suki ni natta.
I’ve come/started to like you.
Expressing “I think”
The final part of this phrase is みたい (mitai).
When you end a sentence with みたい (mitai), you add the nuance of “seeming” to the entire phrase. Therefore the complete phrase can be understood literally as “it seems I’ve started to like you”.
If you were to express this phrase to someone in Japanese, they would most likely take it as a confession!
I Don’t Like You in Japanese
- I don’t like you.
[name] が好きではない。
[name] ga suki dewanai.
After saying the person’s name plus が (ga), take the word “to like”, 好き (suki) and attach ではない (dewanai) to express that you dislike someone in Japanese.
ではない (dewanai) is the negative form of だ (da), which is the casual, or plain form of です (desu). The ではない (dewanai) is needed here to transform the affirmative phrase into a negative one.
A reminder that you should address the person by their name even if you’re speaking with the person in question directly!
Expressing Hatred
If you truly despise someone, you can express your hatred by using the word 嫌い (kirai), a na-adjective that means “hate” in Japanese.
- [name] が嫌い。
[name] ga kirai.
I hate you.
The kanji for “hate” in Japanese is 嫌 which can mean “disagreeable” or “detestable”. This means that when you say 嫌い (kirai) you’re really telling someone that you detest them! Ouch!
It’s also worth knowing that simply saying 嫌い (kirai) by itself translates to “I hate it” in Japanese. For instance, if someone were to ask you if you like chocolate (and you despite it), you could say:
- いや、嫌い。
iya, kirai.
Nope, I hate it.
The いや (iya) here is optional is a way to say “no” in Japanese.
Related: How to say No in Japanese [Ultimate Guide].
If you are asked by anyone such as your teacher, co-worker, manager or a stranger, you should reply in polite speech. To do this, attach です (desu) to the end of the phrase. This makes it 嫌いです (kirai desu).
I am Attracted To You in Japanese
- I am attracted to you.
[name]に惹かれている。
[name] ni hikareteiru.
Perhaps one of the most expressive ways to tell someone you like them is to say that you find them attractive.
To say that you’re attracted to someone in Japanese, you first need to address the person’s name, even if you are speaking with them directly. You do not need to use the pronoun “you” but instead, the person in question’s actual name.
Coming secondly is the grammar particle に (ni), which in this case translates as “into”.
Lastly is the word 惹かれている (hikareteiru), which is the progressive form of the verb 惹かれる (hikareru), which means “to be charmed by”, or “to be attracted to” in Japanese.
As 惹かれている (hikareteiru) is a progressive form verb, it conveys that the verb is in a constant, continuous state. This means that when you use 惹かれている (hikareteiru), you’re saying that you are already attracted to the person, and are continuing to be attracted to them at this very moment.
Therefore, by combing the entire phrase together you get [name]に惹かれている ([name] ni hikareteiru), which is how you express that you’re attracted to someone in Japanese.
Here’s how to say you’re attracted to someone in polite speech:
- [name]に惹かれています。
[name] ni hikareteimasu.
I am attracted to you. (formal).
The only difference is that you conjugate the main verb 惹かれている (hikareteiru) into the polite/masu-form. This makes it 惹かれています (hikareteimasu).
Likeable Person in Japanese
- You are a likeable person.
[name]は気さくな人だ。
[name] ha kisaku na hito da.
Referring to someone as a 気さくな人 (kisaku na hito) is the best way to call someone a “likeable person” in Japanese.
The word 気さくな (kisaku na) is a na-adjective that means “friendly”, “openhearted”, “willing” and “amicable”. All the stuff that qualifies someone to be generally likeable.
Next, 気さくな (kisaku na) is followed by 人 (hito), which means “person” in Japanese.
Therefore, 気さくな人 (kisaku na hito) connotes someone who’s easy to get along with, makes you feel comfortable, doesn’t make anyone feel nervous – a likeable person.
By using the complete phrase, you can express how you think someone, in particular, is a likeable person in casual Japanese.
Summary
The most commonly used word for “like” in Japanese is 好き (suki).
You can simply say 好き (suki) to anyone and you’ll convey the message of “I like you” in Japanese.
There are multiple ways to emphasise that you like someone specifically as a friend or more than that.
One of the ways to express you like someone in the form of a confession is to say 好きだ (sukida).
A few of the ways to say that you like someone in general in Japanese are:
- to call them a likeable person 気さくな人 (kisaku na hito)
- to state explicitly that you only like them as a friend: 友達として好きだよ (tomodachi toshite suki da yo).
It is also possible to use 好き (suki) in conjunction with other words to specify what it is that you like about someone. Perhaps you like their personality, for instance, you can say: [name]の人柄が好きだよ ([name] no hitogara ga suki da yo).
This guide is part of a collection of Ultimate How-To Japanese guides.
Recommended:
How to say Happy in Japanese [Ultimate Guide]
How to say Good Job in Japanese [Ultimate Guide]
Are you a Legend of Zelda Adventurer and a Japanese Adventurer? Come and quest with me on my YouTube channel!
These examples may contain rude words based on your search.
These examples may contain colloquial words based on your search.
好きだ
でも こんな
あなたが好き
君が好き
私はあなた
I like you
I like you, but… when I consider your career, maybe now is not the time for us.
好きだけど 理子のためを思ったら 今 付き合うべきじゃ ないかなっていうのは
No, of course I like you.
好きだから 一緒にいられないんだ
I like you because we’re the same.
I like you too, probably.
（政子） 私も めっちゃ好きなの 多分
Must be why I like you so much.
I like you without your beard.
Well, I asked you out because I like you.
Well, I like you better sober.
Do you have any idea how much I like you?
I like you very much. [M]
Mars I like you to meet Barney Ross
Listen, Kermit, I like you.
I like you as you are now!
Listen, I like you, so I don’t want to go hard proving a point here.
お前は気に入った、 だからあまり、厳しくしたくない。
It’s because I like you I don’t want to be with you.
そうじゃないよ 好きだよ
In fact I like you a lot.
僕のこと誤解した？
Well, personally I like you to take your shirt off and prance around me.
Much as I like you, I will not marry you.
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Обновлено на
10 апр. 2022
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Индонезийский
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Японский
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きみが すき だよ
In Japanese すき had two meanings, one is like and another one is love. We judge the meaning of すき in the sentence from the context. We rarely use the word “love” , instead we use “like”
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Last Updated: November 11, 2021 | Author: Donald Basil
What is this? If you want to let someone know you care, it’s far more common to say 好きだよ (suki da yo) if you’re a guy or 好きよ (suki yo) if you’re a woman. This actually translates to “I like you” — quite a lukewarm statement in English, but an appropriate one for Japanese. There are some regional differences, too.
How do you say I like you in Japanese anime?
Readers of manga and lovers of anime will tell you that “I love you” in Japanese is most often expressed by the colloquial “suki desu / da”, “好きです/だ”. “Suki” means “to like” most of the time, as in “I like chocolate” or “I like baseball”.
What is daisuki desu?
When the Japanese do put their feelings into words, they’re more likely to use the phrase “suki desu” (好きです), which literally means “to like.” … If you like somebody or something very much, the word “dai” (literally, “big”) can be added as the prefix, and you can say “daisuki desu” (大好きです).
How do you say I like to in Japanese?
Therefore if you were to say to someone: 好き (suki), you are saying “I like you” to them in Japanese. Although 好き (suki) doesn’t explicitly mean “I love you”, it can be interpreted as a confession if you were to randomly blurt it out.
What is Itoshi Teru in English?
Itoshiteru means to intend and aishiteimasu means “I love you”. If you mean the difference between aisiteru and aishiteimasu, then the latter is a more polite way to say “I love you”.
How do you pronounce Suki da?
Pronunciation. Suki da is pronounced much like how it looks: soo-KEE-dah. However, note that the “u” sound after the initial “s” is very, very subtle—so much so that it’s often dropped completely, making the word sound more like the English word “ski” with a “dah” tagged onto the end.
How do you use Suki?
サッカーが すきです。 Sakkaa ga suki desu. Soccer is liked. I like soccer.
What is the meaning of daisuki?
The Japanese word “daisuki” is a compound. It is comprised of two smaller words – “dai” (大), which means large, and “suki” (好き) is a noun that points towards the action of loving or liking. Together, they form an adjectival noun, “daisuki”. Its hiragana form is “だいすき”, and its kanji form is simply “大好き”.
What does Daiske mean?
Daisuke can be written using different kanji characters and can mean: 大輔, “big, assist” 大介, “big, mediate” 大祐, “big, bless” 大助, “big, help”
What is GA in Japanese?
が (ga) が (ga) marks the grammatical subject of a sentence when it is first introduced to a conversation. … While は is used when a question word (who, where, etc) comes after the topic in the sentence (レストランはどこですか。), we use the particle が when the question word is the subject or part of it.
What does karai mean?
Karai (辛い), literally meaning ‘salty’ or ‘spicy’, is a Japanese go term meaning 1) being stingy on territory, or 2) a severe move with immediate profit while also solid, challenging the opponent to come up with a really good plan.
What is Kurai?
The Japanese word kurai is an adjective that translates to mean “dark” or “gloomy.”
What does Watashi wa?
“Watashi wa” (私は) in Japanese means “I”.
What is De in Japanese?
The particle “de” is used to define something as the means used to complete an action. Most commonly, the “means” refers to a mode of transport, a tool or instrument, or a method used to complete an action. For example: If I go somewhere by train, then the train is the “means” that I use to get there.
What is romaji in Japanese?
Romaji is the method of writing Japanese words using the Roman alphabet. Since the Japanese way of writing is a combination of kanji and kana scripts, romaji is used for the purpose that Japanese text may be understood by non-Japanese speakers who cannot read kanji or kana scripts.
What is Boku wa?
boku means “I” wa is topic marker. See a translation. 1 like.
Is Anata rude?
When Japanese people explicitly state “you” in their sentences, it’s proper to use the person’s name and attach a suffix. You are probably already familiar with “～san”, which is a polite suffix. If you use “anata” with someone who you know, it is rude.
What Boku means?
Boku in ample detail. Boku is, on one level, very simple. It just means “I” or “me.” However, nothing is ever quite so simple in the Japanese language. In Japanese, there are multiple different words for the simple pronoun referring to oneself.
What is Nani desu ka?
When used as a sentence, “Nani? ” is a casual way of asking “What?” Nan desu ka? is a little formal way asking “What did you say?” “What do you want?” etc.
Is Watashi rude?
In formal or polite contexts, “watashi” is gender neutral. However, when it’s used in informal or casual contexts, it is usually perceived as feminine. … It can be seen as rude depending on the context.
What does Yare Yare?
If you already watched or read JoJo’s Bizzarre Adventure in Japanese, you would know the iconic phrase by Jotaro Kujo: “やれやれ” -pronounced “Yare Yare”. The phrase is trasnlated to intrepretations such as “well well”, “good grief” and “give me a break.” It is a common expression in Japan used to show disappointment.
What does DEKU mean in Japanese?
Overall, the word deku is a Japanese word that refers to a wooden doll or puppet. Traditionally, these dolls had no arms or legs. The word deku is also used as a teasing insult in Japanese to refer to a blockhead or dummy. The phrase implies that the person is as useless as a legless, armless wooden doll.
Can girls use Boku?
Although “boku” is noted as used by males only, I’ve noticed that in some Japanese pop songs, a female singer would refer to herself as “boku” and to her object of affection as “kimi”.