{"id":72600,"date":"2021-01-20T01:28:31","date_gmt":"2021-01-19T16:28:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/?p=72600"},"modified":"2022-07-22T17:22:59","modified_gmt":"2022-07-22T08:22:59","slug":"how-to-say-i-love-you-japanese","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/how-to-say-i-love-you-japanese\/","title":{"rendered":"How to say \u2018I love you\u2019 in Japanese and other romantic phrases"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It is said that love is universal. That all human beings, wherever they are from, understand and express it with actions, gestures, or looks. Through our experiences, our learning, or our culture, we know how to give and receive love<\/strong>. But the reality is that feelings are not shown or perceived in the same way in all countries or cultures. The language of love changes from country to country, from region to region, and even from person to person<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Expressing feelings or saying “I love you” for the first time is not easy in any language, and doing it in Japanese is no exception. But if you are feeling love in the air, it\u2019s time to get romantic. In this article, you will find how to express your emotions and feelings the \u201cJapanese-style\u201d<\/strong><\/strong> and some important points to keep in mind before you start shouting your love from the rooftops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Japan, actions speak louder than words<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Numerous studies indicate that most of the percentage of human communication is non-verbal<\/strong>. Our gestures and body language are essential to transmit signals or sensations without the need to use words. As we saw in our article on how to say thank you in Japanese<\/a>, gestures also play a significant role. In Japan, where much of the communication is indirect, it is necessary to know the unwritten rules that govern a country’s social life and customs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kuuki wo yomu<\/em><\/strong> (\u7a7a\u6c17\u3092\u8aad\u3080) is a widely used phrase that has a special value among Japanese people<\/strong>. In English, it is literally translated as “to read the air” and is similar to the phrase “to read between the lines.<\/strong>” Japanese people avoid direct communication and are usually very subtle when they want to express something. Therefore, when we communicate in Japanese, it’s important to know how to read between the lines, analyze the situation and pay special attention to gestures and small details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Japanese people often show their love with gestures and details.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

It is normal in most Western countries to express affection with words to our partners, families, or even the closest friends. Saying “I love you” can be something natural or reflex action, but it is not that simple for a Japanese person. That is why many Japanese people do not openly declare their love and emotions<\/strong> but do so indirectly through gestures and displays of affection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I love you” in Japanese<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

But this doesn\u2019t mean that Japanese people can’t express their feelings or that it is impossible to say “I love you” in the Japanese language. In fact, there are quite a few ways to express love,<\/strong> and it is important to know how and when to use them. Now is time to get romantic!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The kanji of love: ai<\/em> (\u611b) and koi<\/em> (\u604b)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Kanji<\/em><\/strong> (\u6f22\u5b57) is one of the three Japanese writing systems<\/strong> (although it came from China) and is based on ideograms. Japanese people use more than 2,000 kanji<\/em><\/a> <\/em>daily, mainly for expressing words or concepts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among these thousands of characters, there are two that represent the concept of love<\/strong> and appear in some of the words or phrases that we will see later. Although these two kanji mean “love,” they are not exactly the same, and there are some subtle differences between them:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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