How to say “I love you” in Chinese
Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Word by word
Tone tip
爱 (ài) is a strong fourth tone right between two third tones - let it fall hard. 我爱你 is heartfelt; for liking things or people casually, use 喜欢 (xǐhuan).
In a sentence
我爱你，永远爱你。
Wǒ ài nǐ, yǒngyuǎn ài nǐ.
I love you, forever.
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Start freeFrequently asked questions
How do you say "I love you" in Chinese?+
"I love you" in Mandarin Chinese is 我爱你, pronounced wǒ ài nǐ. 爱 (ài) is a strong fourth tone right between two third tones - let it fall hard. 我爱你 is heartfelt; for liking things or people casually, use 喜欢 (xǐhuan).
What does 我爱你 mean literally?+
我爱你 breaks down as 我 (wǒ) = I, 爱 (ài) = to love, 你 (nǐ) = you. Together it means "I love you".
How do I get the tones right in wǒ ài nǐ?+
爱 (ài) is a strong fourth tone right between two third tones - let it fall hard. 我爱你 is heartfelt; for liking things or people casually, use 喜欢 (xǐhuan).
More phrases like this
Master the tones behind it
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Why some tones change in connected speech.
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