How do you say “I love you” in Chinese?

Pronunciation

Tones: wǒ (3) ài (4) nǐ (3). The middle word 爱 is a firm falling fourth tone, which suits how strong the word feels.

How to use it

• •我爱你 (wǒ ài nǐ) is a serious declaration — reserved for a partner or very close family, not said lightly.
• •For “I like you” — softer, and very common early in a relationship — say 我喜欢你 (wǒ xǐhuan nǐ).
• •Playful and extremely common online and by text: 520 (wǔ èr líng), because the numbers sound close to 我爱你. 20 May (5/20) has become an informal “love day” in China.

Common mistakes

• ▸Assuming 爱 is used as freely as English “love”. Chinese people, especially older generations, say 我爱你 far less often than English speakers say “I love you”; affection is often shown by actions rather than the phrase.
• ▸Mixing up 爱 (ài, love) and 喜欢 (xǐhuan, like). 我喜欢你 is a confession of a crush; 我爱你 is much stronger.
• ▸Mis-toning 爱 as anything other than a clean fourth tone.

Cultural context

In many Chinese families love is expressed through care — cooking a favourite dish, cutting fruit, worrying about whether you are warm enough — rather than by saying 我爱你 out loud. That does not make the phrase unromantic; it makes it significant. Saying 我爱你 means it. The number-play 520 exists precisely because the direct words can feel almost too heavy to say, so people soften them with a wink.