Is this how you say 'I love you?' [Archive]

Golgo_13

Jun 30, 2004, 10:19

That ain't no japanese any which way you look at it.

The Japanese have not really had a custom of saying "I Love You." And it's only been after being influenced by American culture that they've been aware of such expression. I read one time that after WWII one of the reasons why Japanese women sought American GIs to date was because they had never been told "I love you" before and an American would say that to them.

If you want to literally translate it, it would be "Watashi wa anata o aishite imasu." But it just sounds so corny, again, because they don't have a history of using that phrase.

My advice to you, if you should find a Japanese person you wanna say that to, is to go ahead and say it in English. Any Japanese person alive these days would know what that means, and they would appreciate it more if you said it in English than in some contrived, corny Japanese translation.

Hope that helps.

Emoni

Jun 30, 2004, 10:21

It is very difficult to translate the meaning of "I love you" into Japanese, in fact I have given up myself. Because there just is no exact translation, at least not at my skill level.

It seems to be one of the most common questions, and one of the hardest. There are many different ways to speak of love, but often it seems to be of specific types. The American version of the word doesn't quite translate.

I could be wrong though... I'm still new :P

JDubG

Jun 30, 2004, 10:22

OK. Thanks for helping. So 'Wagahai' does not mean 'I' and 'ai' does not mean ' love' and so on? Thanks!

Emoni

Jun 30, 2004, 10:27

Ai IS the "concept" of love, so you aren't incorrect on that.

Golgo's way of saying it includes ai as well, you may just not have seen it.

Watashi wa anata o aishite imasu

Watashi wa = The topic of what you speak, yourself in this case. Watashi means "I" and wa is a relational, something you will need to study on.

Anata o = object being acted on. Anata = you, and o is another relational. It shows that the word previously is being affected.

aishite imasu = the very, and action. Aishite is loving, and imasu means to exist. Ai is love, shite is do. Hmm, I'm not very good with verbs yet :)

Hope this helps somewhat. If you really want to learn about japanese language though, you're not going to get anything from a kanji dictionary without months of japanese study before hand.

JDubG

Jun 30, 2004, 10:31

Alright, thanks. If this dictionary really won't help with sentances or phrases, what would you recommend?

kirei_na_me

Jun 30, 2004, 10:35

http://www.jref.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7242&highlight=love

http://www.jref.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2826

http://www.jref.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6154&highlight=love

http://www.jref.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3889&highlight=love

http://www.jref.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3835&highlight=love

Yeah, there are a few threads around...

Golgo_13

Jun 30, 2004, 10:44

OK. Thanks for helping. So 'Wagahai' does not mean 'I' and 'ai' does not mean ' love' and so on? Thanks!

That's a very archaic way of saying "I". Nobody uses that anymore unless they're being facetious or in a Samurai movie.

Alright, thanks. If this dictionary really won't help with sentances or phrases, what would you recommend?

Your friends on this forum, which is what you did. :cool: :cool: :cool:

OK. Thanks for helping. So 'Wagahai' does not mean 'I' and 'ai' does not mean ' love' and so on? Thanks!

You had a "yu" in there which made it look un-Japanese. "yu" is hot water in Japanese. :D :D :D

JDubG

Jun 30, 2004, 10:46

Hey guys, I really appreciate it. Arigatou!

:D I did not know that Golgo_13!

Emoni

Jun 30, 2004, 11:22

意思さん：　”あや！山田さん？”
山田さん：　”はい。　こんばんは意思さん。　私...� @私は．．．”
意思さん：　”なに？”
山田さん：　"私はゆのあいです！”
意思さん：　”あの、今そろそろ行きます．．．”

One very important lesson in learning Japanese JdubG. Always ALWAYS know exactly what you are saying before you say it. It can lead to some very... "bad" things if you don't.

Humorous for everyone else, but very bad for you :)

JDubG

Jul 3, 2004, 06:23

Yeah, thats what I want to do. By the way, what is this saying that you wrote?

意思さん：　”あや！山田さん？”
山田さん：　”はい。　こんばんは意思さん。　私...� @私は．．．”
意思さん：　”なに？”
山田さん：　"私はゆのあいです！”
意思さん：　”あの、今そろそろ行きます．．．”

PaulTB

Jul 3, 2004, 06:36

Yeah, thats what I want to do. By the way, what is this saying that you wrote?

It is a humerous skit or komedy of errors.

意思さん：　”あや！山田さん？”

Hey! Mr. Yamada?

山田さん：　”はい。　こんばんは意思さん。　私...� @私は．．．”

Yes. Good evening is you. I, I ...

意思さん：　”なに？”

What?

山田さん：　"私はゆのあいです！”

I am U love is!

意思さん：　”あの、今そろそろ行きます．．．”

Er ... Well I'd better be going now ...

Emoni

Jul 3, 2004, 07:24

Actually, the second line is supposed to be "I am hot water of love!"

Golgo_13

Jul 3, 2004, 08:27

So he loves Onsen? :D

Glenn

Jul 3, 2004, 08:37

Lol. "Hot water of love" would be ai no yu. You got it backwards. :relief: :p

Emoni

Jul 3, 2004, 09:38

Sigh... :( Sorry bout that. I'm still new myself. Gotta stop these mistakes!

Glenn

Jul 3, 2004, 09:39

No problem. After all, learning from your mistakes is perhaps the best way to learn. :cool: :D

cricket

Jul 3, 2004, 15:10

PaulTB

Jul 3, 2004, 15:43

Actually, the second line is supposed to be "I am hot water of love!"

Shoulda used more kanji then. :relief:

Inuyasha-the-kid

Aug 3, 2004, 06:49

aishiteru = I love you

TwistedMac

Aug 3, 2004, 07:23

If I may add, Japanese people don't normally use the word aishiteru for i love you.

aishiteru = I love you

you didn't bother reading through the already posted explanations, did you? :p

Golgo_13

Aug 3, 2004, 09:58

Just say it in English!

Inuyasha-the-kid

Aug 4, 2004, 02:00

aishiteru あいしてる

TwistedMac

Aug 4, 2004, 02:03

Just say it in English!
aishiteru あいしてる
not quite.. try again.. I..LLLL...LLLL...looooove you.

alyussium

Aug 5, 2004, 15:22

If I may add, Japanese people don't normally use the word aishiteru for i love you.

They often say " dai suki yo" which has a deeper meaning than suki yo which is like in English. It can also mean favorite as in:

watashi wa ringo ga dai suki na no! (I love apples)

A japanese (woman) friend said me "we say 'ai shiteru'". But later, I read that "ai shiteru" was used by women.

When I watch japanese dorama, they say like you here. Actually, I've listened to "daisuki da" or "suki desu" ^o^. (but never listened to ai shiteru for now).

Kapurnicus

Aug 10, 2004, 22:58

The thing to remember with saying "I love you" is that there are different ways to say it depending on your relationship with the person. " Anata wo ai shite imasu" is generally used when talking to family members, your kids, wife/husband, etc. It has the sense of that love lasting forever. On the other hand there is also "Anata ni koi shite imasu" which is used exclusively for boyfriend/girlfriend. That expression is a bit more depressing though as it has the implied meaning that the love isn't for ever and will eventually end.

aleku

Aug 11, 2004, 01:42

there is a rather girlish way of saying:

(XXXX_name_XXXX) no koto (dai)suki

Golgo_13

Aug 11, 2004, 03:22

" Anata wo ai shite imasu" is generally used when talking to family members, your kids, wife/husband, etc. It has the sense of that love lasting forever.

Have you ever heard any Japanese parent say that to a child?

I haven't in 43 years

"Anata ni koi shite imasu" which is used exclusively for boyfriend/girlfriend. That expression is a bit more depressing though as it has the implied meaning that the love isn't for ever and will eventually end.

No body EVER says that.

Elizabeth

Aug 11, 2004, 08:38

No body EVER says that.
'XXX ni Koishite iru' can best be thought of as a translation of the well-worn phrase 'I'm deeply in love with XXX' which of course even in English no one says, at least anymore, to their lover's face directly. :D

Budderfly

Aug 11, 2004, 15:03

Can you also say "ai shiamasu"?

Mike Cash

Aug 11, 2004, 19:08

Can you also say "ai shiamasu"?

Sure I could. I wouldn't know what the hell it meant, but I could say it.

Elizabeth

Aug 11, 2004, 21:27

Can you also say "ai shiamasu"?
I think I've seen it in songs to mean I will (always) love you (from now on), as well as various other usages, but not to tell someone you love them right now.

PaulTB

Aug 11, 2004, 21:32

I think I've seen it in songs to mean I will (always) love you (from now on), as well as various other usages, but not to tell someone you love them right now.
Sure that wasn't ai shiaimasu? 愛し合います.

Mike Cash

Aug 11, 2004, 21:46

Sure that wasn't ai shiaimasu? 愛し合います.

Nah, I'd know what the hell that meant. But I couldn't say it, though.

I think I've seen it in songs to mean I will (always) love you (from now on), as well as various other usages, but not to tell someone you love them right now.

So Japanese has a separate future tense now?

PaulTB

Aug 11, 2004, 21:49

Nah, I'd know what the hell that meant. But I couldn't say it, though.
Oi! Who waz talkin' ta you?
So Japanese has a separate future tense now?
First I heard. Good idea though.

Mike Cash

Aug 11, 2004, 21:52

Oi! Who waz talkin' ta you?

First I heard. Good idea though.

You wouldn't know a good idea even if it walked up to you with one of those dopey blue and white convention name tags with "Hi! My name is: Good Idea" written on it.

PaulTB

Aug 11, 2004, 21:56

You wouldn't know a good idea even if it walked up to you with one of those dopey blue and white convention name tags with "Hi! My name is: Good Idea" written on it.
I thought you had a better grip on my sense of humour than that.

Just for you I'll add back in the text I left in invisible ink last time "I'll let the Emperor know right away."

Elizabeth

Aug 11, 2004, 22:07

Without actually doing the translation (do you love?) here is something resembling ai shimasu in the title of a book.

http://www.shc.co.jp/book/4-916199-25-1.htm

PaulTB

Aug 11, 2004, 22:14

Without actually doing the translation (do you love?) here is something resembling ai shimasu in the title of a book.
Doesn't resemble "ai shiamasu" I would assume.

Elizabeth

Aug 11, 2004, 22:39

Oh, sorry, yes that was the original question....although there's hope yet, it's still early in the day here afterall. :)

Oi! Who waz talkin' ta you?

First I heard. Good idea though.
Of course that is the breakdown for certain select verbs. If kekkon suru is will be married, shouldn't au suru logically also mean will love ? :p
Although in the book title example it looks more like "Loved by".....:p

Golgo_13

Aug 12, 2004, 03:36

"I love you" does not translate very well literally into Japanese.

So can we put the matter to rest and go ahead and say it to a Japanese person in English? He/she will like it better in English.

Mike Cash

Aug 12, 2004, 05:24

I thought you had a better grip on my sense of humour than that.

I thought you had a better grip on mine too. After all, we're not Junior Members.

alyussium

Aug 12, 2004, 06:03

"I love you" does not translate very well literally into Japanese.

So can we put the matter to rest and go ahead and say it to a Japanese person in English? He/she will like it better in English.

Or in french :-) ... Yep, tell it in your language ^o^.

Mike Cash

Aug 12, 2004, 06:06

Oh, sorry, yes that was the original question....although there's hope yet, it's still early in the day here afterall. :)

Of course that is the breakdown for certain select verbs. If kekkon suru is will be married, shouldn't au suru logically also mean will love ? :p
Although in the book title example it looks more like "Loved by".....:p

The book title was something like "Will you love your subordinates? Or will you lose them?"

Golgo_13

Aug 12, 2004, 06:11

Or in french :-) ... Yep, tell it in your language ^o^.

But I doubt that a Japanese person would know that you're saying "I love you" if you said it in Urdu, Swahili, or Arabic.

They would only understand if you said it in English.

alyussium

Aug 12, 2004, 06:40

Haha, that's right golgo ^o^. Anyway, maybe they could understand in some other languages than english just like us. I don't know a single german word, but I know how to say I love you in german (for example...).