
If you are not romantically interested in a person and just like them as a friend you should use the Japanese phrase “ Ki ni itta” (気に入った). Ki ni Itta – “I Like You” (Just as a friend) You can also add the sentence ending particle yo (よ) to add more emphasis and use names instead of “you”, just like we did with the formal phrase before.
#Kono jikan wa totemo suki da full#
In Japanese, it is also possible to say “ I like you” just by saying the word “ Suki” since the da isn’t needed to form a full sentence. Da (だ) is the plain and more declarative version of the polite Japanese copula desu (です) and makes the sentence sound more casual.

“ Suki da” (好きだ) has the same meaning as “Suki desu” (好きです) but is the casual way to say “ I like you” in Japanese. In my opinion, it is best to think of it as an exclamation mark and translate the sentence as “I like you!”. The sentence ending particle yo (よ) adds emphasis and makes the phrase sound slightly more casual. Sometimes you will also see the variation “ Suki desu yo” (好きですよ). If you are not that close or want to sound politer you can also use the more formal honorific title san (さん). For women, you should use the polite suffix chan (ちゃん), and for men, you should use the polite suffix kun (くん, 君). Instead of using “you” it is more common for the Japanese people to use the person’s name followed by an honorific title and the particle ga (が). The word desu (です) at the end is a Japanese copula and makes the sentence sound more polite. When said to a person suki (好き) usually means and translates as “ like (in a romantic way)” or “ to be in love with“. Suki desu (好きです) is the formal phrase that you can use to tell someone “ I like you” in Japanese. That’s why the Japanese word “ suki” (好き) which is often translated as just “ like” is actually closer to the English word “ love” and should only be used when you are romantically interested in someone. If a Japanese person says “ I like you” it has a way deeper meaning than when western people use it. In the more conservative Japanese culture, however, it is common to express one’s love and affection through actions. In western cultures, we often tell our friends or family members that we like (or love) them.
#Kono jikan wa totemo suki da how to#
In order to answer the question of how to say “ I like you” in Japanese, we first have to understand that there is a big difference in how “ I like you” is used in the western world and in Japan. I will also explain the difference between the two words suki (好き) and daisuki (大好き) and teach you a couple of other useful phrases such as “ I really like you” and “ I like you, too“. If you want to know why you shouldn’t use suki with friends even though it translates as “ like” you will find the detailed answer below. When you like someone as a friend you should say “Ki ni itta” (気に入った).

Both phrases express a romantic interest in the other person and can also be translated as “I love you”. The formal way to say “I like you” in Japanese is “Suki desu” (好きです) while “Suki da yo” (好きだよ) is the more casual phrase. As usual, let’s start with a quick answer to how to say “I like you” in Japanese. So in today’s blog post, I’m finally going to cover the most popular Japanese phrases that you can use to tell someone that you like them in a romantic way or as a friend. One of the most commonly asked questions I receive from my readers is how to say “ I like you” in Japanese.
