我爱你
wǒ ài nǐ
I love you · trad. 我愛你
我爱你 (wǒ ài nǐ) is the direct way to say “I love you” in Mandarin Chinese. It's sincere and heartfelt — and used a little more sparingly than in English.
What does 我爱你 (wǒ ài nǐ) mean?
我爱你 (wǒ ài nǐ) means “I love you” in English.
When to use it
Strong and serious. For everyday affection, many people prefer 我喜欢你 (wǒ xǐhuan nǐ), “I like you.” Online and in texts, the number 520 (wǔ‑èr‑líng) is a cute stand-in because it sounds like 我爱你.
How to pronounce it
Sounds like “wor eye nee.” Tones: 我 wǒ (third), 爱 ài (falling), 你 nǐ (third).
Other ways to say it
- 我喜欢你wǒ xǐhuan nǐI like you (softer, everyday)
- 我也爱你wǒ yě ài nǐI love you too
- 我非常爱你wǒ fēicháng ài nǐI love you very much
Examples
我爱你，永远爱你。
Wǒ ài nǐ, yǒngyuǎn ài nǐ.
I love you, forever.
我也爱你。
Wǒ yě ài nǐ.
I love you too.
其实我一直很喜欢你。
Qíshí wǒ yìzhí hěn xǐhuan nǐ.
Honestly, I've always really liked you.
Pro tip: Chinese speakers say 我爱你 less casually than English speakers. Early in a relationship, 我喜欢你 (“I like you”) usually feels more natural.
Related phrases
我爱你，亲爱的 · I love you my love我太爱你了 · I love you so much我非常爱你 · I love you very much
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