How to Say “I Love You” in Chinese, with Pinyin and Examples

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The direct way to say “I love you” in Mandarin Chinese is 我爱你 (wǒ ài nǐ). It is clear, personal and stronger than “I like you”.

You will also hear 我喜欢你 (wǒ xǐhuan nǐ), “I like you”, when someone is admitting romantic interest or when a relationship is still developing. The two phrases can overlap in a romantic context, but they are not interchangeable translations.

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Chinese	Pinyin	Natural English meaning	Use
我爱你	wǒ ài nǐ	I love you	A direct declaration of love
我也爱你	wǒ yě ài nǐ	I love you too	A direct reply
我真的很爱你	wǒ zhēnde hěn ài nǐ	I really love you	More emphatic
我喜欢你	wǒ xǐhuan nǐ	I like you / I have feelings for you	Often earlier or less intense
我想你	wǒ xiǎng nǐ	I miss you / I’m thinking of you	Meaning comes from context
亲爱的	qīn’ài de	dear / darling	An affectionate form of address
宝贝	bǎobèi	darling / baby	Affectionate and intimate
你很漂亮	nǐ hěn piàoliang	You’re beautiful	A direct compliment
你很帅	nǐ hěn shuài	You’re handsome	A direct compliment
男朋友 / 女朋友	nánpéngyou / nǚpéngyou	boyfriend / girlfriend	Relationship nouns

“Love” in Chinese

爱 (ài) is the verb and noun “love”. You can use it for romantic love, family, activities and things, depending on what follows:

• 我爱你。 (wǒ ài nǐ): “I love you.”
• 我爱我的家人。 (wǒ ài wǒ de jiārén): “I love my family.”
• 我爱音乐。 (wǒ ài yīnyuè): “I love music.”

The related adjective 可爱 (kě’ài) means “cute” or “adorable”. You can learn more relationship vocabulary in our guide to family in Chinese.

“I Love You” in Chinese

我爱你 (wǒ ài nǐ) is the standard direct phrase. If someone says it to you and you feel the same way, reply with 我也爱你 (wǒ yě ài nǐ), “I love you too”.

For extra emphasis, use a complete sentence rather than adding a loose “so much” at the end:

• 我很爱你。 (wǒ hěn ài nǐ): “I love you very much.”
• 我真的很爱你。 (wǒ zhēnde hěn ài nǐ): “I really love you.”

我喜欢你 (wǒ xǐhuan nǐ) means “I like you”. In the right situation it can reveal romantic feelings, but it does not automatically carry the same commitment as 我爱你. Let the relationship and the speaker’s own habits guide your choice instead of treating one phrase as universally more “native”.

“My Love” in Chinese

Mandarin does not map every English pet name word for word. 亲爱的 (qīn’ài de) is a common equivalent of “dear” or “darling” when addressing someone. You can also place it before a noun, as in 亲爱的朋友 (qīn’ài de péngyou), “dear friend”.

爱人 (àiren) needs regional context. In mainland China it commonly means “spouse”. Elsewhere it can be understood as “lover”, so it is not a safe universal translation of the pet name “my love”.

“My Baby” in Chinese

宝贝 (bǎobèi) literally refers to something treasured and can work as “darling” or “baby”. 宝宝 (bǎobao) literally means “baby” and is also used as an affectionate nickname in some relationships.

You can say 我的宝贝 (wǒ de bǎobèi), “my darling”, but Chinese often drops 我的 when the relationship is already obvious. Pet names are personal, so copy the form your partner uses rather than assuming every couple likes the same one.

“My Heart” in Chinese

English “my heart” does not have one neutral, everyday Mandarin equivalent. 心肝 (xīngān), literally “heart and liver”, can mean “darling”, and 心肝宝贝 (xīngān bǎobèi) is an intense “precious darling”. It can sound dramatic, old-fashioned or especially tender depending on who says it and to whom.

老婆 (lǎopó) and 老公 (lǎogōng) mean “wife” and “husband”. Some unmarried couples use them affectionately, but they imply a committed relationship and are not casual substitutes for “girlfriend” and “boyfriend”.

“I Miss You” in Chinese

我想你 (wǒ xiǎng nǐ) can mean “I miss you” or “I’m thinking of you”. The verb 想 also has other meanings, including “to think” and “to want”, so context does the work.

• 我很想你。 (wǒ hěn xiǎng nǐ): “I miss you a lot.”
• 我一直在想你。 (wǒ yīzhí zài xiǎng nǐ): “I’ve been thinking about you.”
• 我想念你。 (wǒ xiǎngniàn nǐ): “I miss you.” This is more explicit and can feel more literary or emotionally weighted, but it does not imply permanent separation.

“You Are Beautiful” in Chinese

A compliment does not need a gender stereotype attached to it. Choose a phrase that fits the person and the moment:

• 你很漂亮。 (nǐ hěn piàoliang): “You’re beautiful.”
• 你很帅。 (nǐ hěn shuài): “You’re handsome.”
• 你今天真好看。 (nǐ jīntiān zhēn hǎokàn): “You look great today.”
• 这件衣服很适合你。 (zhè jiàn yīfu hěn shìhé nǐ): “This outfit really suits you.”
• 你很有魅力。 (nǐ hěn yǒu mèilì): “You’re very attractive/charming.”

谢谢 (xièxie), “thank you”, is a normal reply. 哪里，哪里 (nǎli, nǎli), literally “where?”, is a modest denial of a compliment, but it can sound more formulaic. Neither response belongs to one gender.

“Boyfriend” in Chinese

男朋友 (nánpéngyou) means “boyfriend”, combining 男, “male”, and 朋友, “friend”. 丈夫 (zhàngfu) is “husband”, while 老公 (lǎogōng) is the more conversational “husband” or “hubby”.

对象 (duìxiàng) can mean a romantic partner, boyfriend or girlfriend, but it also has the broader meaning “object” or “target”. The surrounding sentence tells you which meaning is intended.

“Girlfriend” in Chinese

女朋友 (nǚpéngyou) means “girlfriend”, combining 女, “female”, and 朋友, “friend”. 妻子 (qīzi) is “wife”, while 老婆 (lǎopó) is the conversational “wife” or “wifey”.

These are useful vocabulary labels, not assumptions about how a person describes their relationship. If someone uses a different term for their partner, follow their wording.

What Does “520” Mean in Chinese?

520, read 五二零 (wǔ’èr líng), is Chinese internet wordplay for 我爱你 (wǒ ài nǐ), “I love you”. The sounds are only an approximation, not a pronunciation rule.

Because 5/20 is written as 520, 20 May has become an unofficial romantic date online and in advertising. You may see 520 in messages, gifts and social posts. It is playful shorthand; say 我爱你 when you want the actual Mandarin sentence.

Other number codes circulate online, but they are easy to misremember and can be short-lived. Learn 520 as recognition vocabulary, then check any unfamiliar code in its current context before copying it.

Ways People Show Care in Chinese

People differ in how directly they talk about love. Family habits, age, region, personality and the relationship itself all matter, so one person’s habits should not be treated as the “Chinese way” to express affection.

Care often appears in ordinary reminders as well as romantic declarations. These phrases are useful because they say exactly what the speaker is concerned about:

• 记得吃饭。 (jìde chīfàn): “Remember to eat.”
• 早点睡。 (zǎodiǎn shuì): “Get to bed earlier.”
• 路上小心。 (lùshang xiǎoxīn): “Take care on the way.”
• 到家了告诉我。 (dào jiā le gàosu wǒ): “Let me know when you get home.”

These sentences can express affection, but they can also be ordinary practical concern. Tone, timing and the relationship decide how they land. Ask what your partner or friend prefers rather than turning one family’s habit into a cultural rule.

How to Use These Chinese Love Phrases

Start with one phrase that matches your relationship, then practise it as a short exchange. This keeps the words connected to a real response:

• A: 我爱你。 B: 我也爱你。
  Wǒ ài nǐ. Wǒ yě ài nǐ.
  “I love you.” “I love you too.”
• A: 我很想你。 B: 我也很想你。
  Wǒ hěn xiǎng nǐ. Wǒ yě hěn xiǎng nǐ.
  “I miss you a lot.” “I miss you a lot too.”
• A: 你今天真好看。 B: 谢谢！
  Nǐ jīntiān zhēn hǎokàn. Xièxie!
  “You look great today.” “Thank you!”

Listen to a speaker recording of the whole sentence, copy its rhythm, record yourself, and ask a Mandarin speaker whether the phrase fits the relationship and situation you have in mind. Then change one detail and use it again. Our guide to basic Chinese phrases gives you more material for the rest of the conversation.

For a structured speaking-first course with dialogues and practice tasks, see Language Hacking Mandarin.