How to Say ‘I love you’ in Japanese
大好きだよ
daisuki da yo
[dai-skee da yo]
💬 Usage Tip: [大好き] means “really like/love.” With [だよ], it sounds direct and affectionate without being too heavy.
🇯🇵 In Japan: Japanese speakers often use [大好き] more casually than a very strong romantic “I love you,” so it fits pets perfectly.
Phrase Breakdown
大好き
daisuki
[dai-skee]
love very much
A strong affectionate expression meaning to really love or like someone a lot.
いつも大好きって伝えたいよ。
I always want to tell you I love you very much.
だ
da
[da]
is
A plain copula that directly states feeling in a warm, casual way.
大好きだよ、だって家族だから。
I love you, because you’re family.
よ
yo
[yo]
you know; emphasis
A sentence-ending particle adding emphasis and warmth. It sounds heartfelt here.
大好きだよ、よって気持ちをこめて言う。
I say “I love you,” with feeling, using “yo.”
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