<p>Here's a list of how to say &quot;I love you&quot; in several Chinese languages:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Mandarin, Beijing: <strong>Wo ai ni</strong></p>
<p>Mandarin, Southwest: <strong>Ngo ngai ni</strong></p>
<p>Minnan, Taiwan: <strong>Gua ai li</strong></p>
<p>Wu, Shanghai:</p>
<p>(1) <strong>Ngu oi nong</strong></p>
<p>(2) <strong>Ngu huoe-xi nong</strong></p>
<p>Hakka, Meizhou:</p>
<p>(1) <strong>Ngai ai ngi</strong></p>
<p>(2) <strong>Ngai jung yi ngi</strong></p>
<p>Yue, Canton:</p>
<p>(1) <strong>Ngo oi nei</strong></p>
<p>(2) <strong>Ngo jung yi nei</strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p>The word for &quot;love&quot; in the second variant in Wu is &quot;歡喜&quot;; in the second variant of Hakka and Yue it is &quot;中意&quot;. They are considered somewhat less serious than &quot;愛&quot;.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-06-14T20:22:56.603Z
It is called Cantonese, not Yue. (`Ngo jung yi nei` is 我鐘意你)
Derek 朕會功夫
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-10-22T18:07:28.693Z
@Derek “粤”包括广东话
Stumpy Joe Pete
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-05-04T03:36:54.990Z
2012-05-04T03:42:13.483Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
Yang
<p>If HE or SHE comes from Mainland of China, then you should say "WO AI NI". "WO AI NI" is a Chinese Mandarin / Han Yu.</p>

<p>If HE or SHE use Hokkien (Hokkian) AND from Indonesia (mostly from Medan city) or Singapore or Malay, then I suggest you to say "WA AI LO". </p>

<p>WA = I / me <br>
AI = love / want (to) <br>
LO = you <br></p>

<p>Some speaking of Hokkien ( Medan, Indonesia version ) : </p>

<p><strong>Wa ai lo.</strong> <br>
Means : I love you / I want you.</p>

<p><strong>Wa ai khi.</strong> <br>
Means : I want to go</p>

<p><strong>Lo hokkien esai ?</strong> <br>
Means : Can you speak Hokkien ?</p>

<p><strong>Lo ciak liao boi ? Wa ciak hamik.</strong> <br>
Means : Have you eat(breakfast/lunch/dinner) ? I'm already eat(breakfast/lunch/dinner).</p>

<p><strong>Ce / No / Sa / Si / Nggo / Lak / Jit / Pek / Kao / Cap</strong> <br>
Means : 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10</p>

<p>PS: Sometimes I use this for conversations with my friends (from Medan, Indonesia).</p>

<p>Hope this help ^o^</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-12-31T13:37:57.103Z
Agree! I think "Wa ai lo" is derived from Hokkien: "Gua ai lu". A lot of people outside the originated place where Hokkien being spoken usually pronounce it "Gua" as "Wa". :)
mrjimoy_05
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-08-12T00:08:54.783Z
2012-08-12T00:15:41.610Z
2012-08-12T00:15:41.610Z
Sidhi Ciang
<p>I think "wa ai lo" is Wu, a chinese dialect used in Shanghai and Zhejiang,because Chinese dialects very different from each other. and as far as I know, only Wu pronunce "ni" with the vowel "o". </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-04-27T16:44:19.043Z
Hello Yangzhe Lau and welcome to CL&U! Like I said under another answer, can you expand on your answer?
Alenanno
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-04-27T19:32:39.303Z
According to wikipedia it's 我愛儂 ([ŋɯ; e noŋ]) in Wu. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%90%B4%E8%AF%AD
BertR
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-05-07T15:13:53.363Z
@Alenanno OK,I think "wa ai lo" is Wu,because Chinese dialects very different from each other. and as far as I know, only Wu pronunce "ni" with the vowel "o".
Yangzhe Lau
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-05-07T15:21:27.013Z
@YangzheLau Please add that to your answer... Remember that the more you elaborate in your answer, the better it is. :)
Alenanno
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-05-07T15:22:44.103Z
@BertR Yes, you're right [ŋɯ; e noŋ] is what I pronunce when say 'I love you'. But there isn't a standard in Chinese dialect. Even in Wu area people pronunce differently from city to city.
Yangzhe Lau
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-04-27T16:05:51.603Z
2012-05-07T15:26:25.470Z
2012-05-07T15:26:25.470Z
Yangzhe Lau
<p>I'm a native Chinese, I know the right pronunciation is 我(wǒ)爱(ài)你(nǐ). Maybe your friend are learning 粤语 or 广东话, the China official language is Simplified Chinese that is 普通话。</p>

<p>Here is a pic <a href="https://i.sstatic.net/QSOci.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://i.sstatic.net/QSOci.png</a></p>

<p>I'm very happy can make English friends here.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-05-03T01:17:30.207Z
As I know in Cantonese they don't say 'wo ai lo' neither.
shouya
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-05-04T03:37:32.257Z
普通话 = "Standard Chinese", "Standard Mandarin", or just "Chinese". The dialect based in Beijing and adopted in the rest of the country.

Simplified Chinese = 簡體字, the simplified **characters** adopted since the 1950s in the People's Republic of China.
Yang
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-05-01T09:16:48.973Z
2012-05-01T19:14:19.257Z
2012-05-01T19:14:19.257Z
jishiyu
<p>How about listening to this song sung in Hokkien / Fujian dialect where the "Gua ai li" is all over the place.</p>

<p><a href="https://youtu.be/6XnNatTmtvk" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://youtu.be/6XnNatTmtvk</a></p>

<p>As for "Wa ai lo or lu", could it be the product of a historical "mixture" of the Hokkien dialect with the indigenous Malay language because if you Google Translate "Lu" from Malay to Chinese you get 你们</p>

<p>If you go to Malaysia or Indonesia, (where a sizable Hokkien population could be found), you will find many "Hokkien" words which have no equivalent in Fujian Province itself. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-13T03:16:41.530Z
2020-01-13T03:16:41.530Z
Wayne Cheah
<p>All Chinese speakers can understand "wo ai ni" while only few Chinese in specific areas can understand "wo ai lo", because "wo ai lo" is dialect.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-06-13T08:01:50.783Z
2012-10-22T08:14:07.110Z
2012-10-22T08:14:07.110Z
leeanna woo
<p>"Wo ai ni" is right, while "lo" is a wrong pronunciation in Chinese. You cannot find "lo" in  Mandarin. Note that wa ai lo is dialectal.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-04-27T10:09:19.903Z
Can you expand on this? And are you sure? According to BertR comment above, it might be a regional thing.
Alenanno
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-04-28T04:27:07.533Z
@Alenanno Thanks for your reminder first.Generally speaking,there are seven dialects in Chinese language,includes Mandarin,Wu,Yue,Min,Xiang,Hakka and Gan,you can find all the information [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_language).The difference of pronunciation between dialects is particularly large,one can not know them all.For this example "wa ai lo",yes it is "我愛儂", "儂" should be pronounced as "nong" in Mandarin,which have a different pronunciation in other dialects.Feel free to post what you want to say.
withparadox2
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-04-28T09:56:17.893Z
Can you include that in your answer? And make sure it's directed at the question, it would be a good answer! :)
Alenanno
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-04-28T15:07:03.990Z
Accourding to wikipedia 儂 is pronounced in Wu as [noŋ]. I could be wrong, but that doesn't sound like "lo" to me.
BertR
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-05-04T03:41:07.557Z
The newer generation of speakers for Shanghainese, Cantonese, etc. are gradually replacing the "n" initial with a "l". Also, a lot of them don't nasalize the ending when they're speaking quickly, or the asker just didn't catch it.
Yang
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-04-27T04:17:40.950Z
2012-04-30T12:11:06.377Z
2012-04-30T12:11:06.377Z
withparadox2
<p>Some of my Chinese friends speak Chinese. I asked them how to say "I love you" in their language, but most of them said "wa ai lo" not "wo ai ni", how can this be?</p>

<p>I look for google translate, it says "wo ai ni" and not "wa ai lo".</p>

<p>Am I missing something here?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-04-27T07:59:57.037Z
From which region are these friends coming?
BertR
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-05-03T01:22:42.073Z
Could you ask you friends what the word exactly is? Do you mean 儂, which pronounces nong3, and in standard Mandarin the word should be 你, right which you suppose wrong.
shouya
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-06-14T20:24:25.180Z
In Cantonese it is Ngo Jung Yee Nei.
Derek 朕會功夫
<word-choice><meaning>
What should I use to say "I love you": "wa ai lo" or "wo ai ni"?
# What should I use to say "I love you": "wa ai lo" or "wo ai ni"?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-04-27)

Some of my Chinese friends speak Chinese. I asked them how to say "I love you" in their language, but most of them said "wa ai lo" not "wo ai ni", how can this be?

I look for google translate, it says "wo ai ni" and not "wa ai lo".

Am I missing something here?

**Tags:** word-choice, meaning

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: From which region are these friends coming?  
> **username_2**: Could you ask you friends what the word exactly is? Do you mean 儂, which pronounces nong3, and in standard Mandarin the word should be 你, right which you suppose wrong.  
> **username_3**: In Cantonese it is Ngo Jung Yee Nei.  

---

## 7 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2012-05-04. Score: 5

Here's a list of how to say "I love you" in several Chinese languages:

> Mandarin, Beijing: **Wo ai ni**
>
> Mandarin, Southwest: **Ngo ngai ni**
>
> Minnan, Taiwan: **Gua ai li**
>
> Wu, Shanghai:
>
> (1) **Ngu oi nong**
>
> (2) **Ngu huoe-xi nong**
>
> Hakka, Meizhou:
>
> (1) **Ngai ai ngi**
>
> (2) **Ngai jung yi ngi**
>
> Yue, Canton:
>
> (1) **Ngo oi nei**
>
> (2) **Ngo jung yi nei**

The word for "love" in the second variant in Wu is "歡喜"; in the second variant of Hakka and Yue it is "中意". They are considered somewhat less serious than "愛".

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: It is called Cantonese, not Yue. (`Ngo jung yi nei` is 我鐘意你)  
> **username_5**: @Derek “粤”包括广东话  

---

### Answer by username_0 on 2012-08-12. Score: 3

If HE or SHE comes from Mainland of China, then you should say "WO AI NI". "WO AI NI" is a Chinese Mandarin / Han Yu.

If HE or SHE use Hokkien (Hokkian) AND from Indonesia (mostly from Medan city) or Singapore or Malay, then I suggest you to say "WA AI LO".

WA = I / me   
AI = love / want (to)   
LO = you

Some speaking of Hokkien ( Medan, Indonesia version ) :

**Wa ai lo.**   
Means : I love you / I want you.

**Wa ai khi.**   
Means : I want to go

**Lo hokkien esai ?**   
Means : Can you speak Hokkien ?

**Lo ciak liao boi ? Wa ciak hamik.**   
Means : Have you eat(breakfast/lunch/dinner) ? I'm already eat(breakfast/lunch/dinner).

**Ce / No / Sa / Si / Nggo / Lak / Jit / Pek / Kao / Cap**   
Means : 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10

PS: Sometimes I use this for conversations with my friends (from Medan, Indonesia).

Hope this help ^o^

> **Comments:**
> **username_6**: Agree! I think "Wa ai lo" is derived from Hokkien: "Gua ai lu". A lot of people outside the originated place where Hokkien being spoken usually pronounce it "Gua" as "Wa". :)  

---

### Answer by username_7 on 2012-04-27. Score: 1

I think "wa ai lo" is Wu, a chinese dialect used in Shanghai and Zhejiang,because Chinese dialects very different from each other. and as far as I know, only Wu pronunce "ni" with the vowel "o".

> **Comments:**
> **username_8**: Hello username_4zhe Lau and welcome to CL&U! Like I said under another answer, can you expand on your answer?  
> **username_1**: According to wikipedia it's 我愛儂 ([ŋɯ; e noŋ]) in Wu. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%90%B4%E8%AF%AD  
> **username_7**: @username_8 OK,I think "wa ai lo" is Wu,because Chinese dialects very different from each other. and as far as I know, only Wu pronunce "ni" with the vowel "o".  
> **username_8**: @username_4zheLau Please add that to your answer... Remember that the more you elaborate in your answer, the better it is. :)  
> **username_7**: @username_1 Yes, you're right [ŋɯ; e noŋ] is what I pronunce when say 'I love you'. But there isn't a standard in Chinese dialect. Even in Wu area people pronunce differently from city to city.  

---

### Answer by username_9 on 2012-05-01. Score: 0

I'm a native Chinese, I know the right pronunciation is 我(wǒ)爱(ài)你(nǐ). Maybe your friend are learning 粤语 or 广东话, the China official language is Simplified Chinese that is 普通话。

Here is a pic <https://i.sstatic.net/QSOci.png>

I'm very happy can make English friends here.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: As I know in Cantonese they don't say 'wo ai lo' neither.  
> **username_4**: 普通话 = "Standard Chinese", "Standard Mandarin", or just "Chinese". The dialect based in Beijing and adopted in the rest of the country.  Simplified Chinese = 簡體字, the simplified **characters** adopted since the 1950s in the People's Republic of China.  

---

### Answer by username_10 on 2020-01-13. Score: 0

How about listening to this song sung in Hokkien / Fujian dialect where the "Gua ai li" is all over the place.

<https://youtu.be/6XnNatTmtvk>

As for "Wa ai lo or lu", could it be the product of a historical "mixture" of the Hokkien dialect with the indigenous Malay language because if you Google Translate "Lu" from Malay to Chinese you get 你们

If you go to Malaysia or Indonesia, (where a sizable Hokkien population could be found), you will find many "Hokkien" words which have no equivalent in Fujian Province itself.


---

### Answer by username_11 on 2012-06-13. Score: 0

All Chinese speakers can understand "wo ai ni" while only few Chinese in specific areas can understand "wo ai lo", because "wo ai lo" is dialect.


---

### Answer by username_12 on 2012-04-27. Score: -3

"Wo ai ni" is right, while "lo" is a wrong pronunciation in Chinese. You cannot find "lo" in Mandarin. Note that wa ai lo is dialectal.

> **Comments:**
> **username_8**: Can you expand on this? And are you sure? According to username_1 comment above, it might be a regional thing.  
> **username_12**: @username_8 Thanks for your reminder first.Generally speaking,there are seven dialects in Chinese language,includes Mandarin,Wu,Yue,Min,Xiang,Hakka and Gan,you can find all the information [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_language).The difference of pronunciation between dialects is particularly large,one can not know them all.For this example "wa ai lo",yes it is "我愛儂", "儂" should be pronounced as "nong" in Mandarin,which have a different pronunciation in other dialects.Feel free to post what you want to say.  
> **username_8**: Can you include that in your answer? And make sure it's directed at the question, it would be a good answer! :)  
> **username_1**: Accourding to wikipedia 儂 is pronounced in Wu as [noŋ]. I could be wrong, but that doesn't sound like "lo" to me.  
> **username_4**: The newer generation of speakers for Shanghainese, Cantonese, etc. are gradually replacing the "n" initial with a "l". Also, a lot of them don't nasalize the ending when they're speaking quickly, or the asker just didn't catch it.  

---

