How to say “I love you” in Chinese

Word by word

What each part of 我爱你。 actually means.

• 我wǒI / me
• 爱àito love
• 你nǐyou

When you use it

For partners and family. Between friends Chinese says 我很喜欢你 ("I really like you") — 爱 is strong and saying it casually can land oddly.

Use 我爱你。 in everyday situations. Greetings, thanks and the small words you use all day.

Common questions

How do you say "I love you" in Chinese?

"I love you" in Chinese is 我爱你。 — written in pinyin as Wǒ ài nǐ.. It is a everyday phrase you would use in China.

What does 我爱你。 mean in Chinese?

我爱你。 (Wǒ ài nǐ.) means "I love you". Broken down word by word: 我 (wǒ) means "I / me"; 爱 (ài) means "to love"; 你 (nǐ) means "you".

When would you use "I love you" in Chinese?

For partners and family. Between friends Chinese says 我很喜欢你 ("I really like you") — 爱 is strong and saying it casually can land oddly. You would say 我爱你。 (Wǒ ài nǐ.) in everyday conversation.

More Everyday phrases

• 干杯！Cheers!
• 生日快乐！Happy birthday!
• 没关系。It's fine.
• 请等一下。Please wait a moment.