<p>People often say 我喜歡你(I like you) instead of 我愛你(I love you) to avoid being too direct. Chinese tends to be more subtle when expressing romantic love (愛情).</p>
<p>Cantonese almost never say 我愛你(I love you). We say 我鐘意你 (I like you) instead</p>
<blockquote>
<p>How do you say you love your friends or family that you love them?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It is perfectly normal to say 我愛我的朋友 (I love my friends) or 我愛我的家人 (I love my family) because we know 愛我的朋友 refers to 友情 (friendship love); 愛我的家人 refers to 親情 (kinship love)</p>
<p>However, we almost never say 我愛你 to a friend or a family member face to face. The most we would say is 我很關心你 (I care about you very much) or 你對我很重要 (you are very important to me)</p>
<p><em>If I and a friend are about to die together, the most I would say is '好兄弟!'</em></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-05-24T04:41:38.263Z
Quote:- "If I and a friend are about to die together, the most I would say is '好兄弟!'" I thought in such a dramatic situation, it is "不能在同年同日生，但能在同年同日死 ?  as in all the 武侠 movies ?  :)
Wayne Cheah
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-05-24T04:54:01.550Z
BTW, I do agree that the 我愛你 is more of a "Western" cultural import.
Wayne Cheah
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-06-23T08:41:25.047Z
@Wayne Cheah  remove  在 in 不能在同年同日生，但能在同年同日死  make it more idiomatic
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-05-23T18:11:08.990Z
2021-05-23T18:21:16.673Z
2021-05-23T18:21:16.673Z
Tang Ho
<p>Are there any other ways to say &quot;I love you&quot; other than 我爱你?</p>
<p>It can't be that people say &quot;I love you&quot; only to their lovers. How do you say you love your friends or family that you love them?</p>
<p>Also synonyms will be appreciated.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-05-26T11:24:55.983Z
Thank you for the insight!
Emeeh
<simplified-characters><learning><synonyms>
Ways to say "I love you" other than 我爱你
# Ways to say "I love you" other than 我爱你

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-05-23)

Are there any other ways to say "I love you" other than 我爱你?

It can't be that people say "I love you" only to their lovers. How do you say you love your friends or family that you love them?

Also synonyms will be appreciated.

**Tags:** simplified-characters, learning, synonyms

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thank you for the insight!  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2021-05-23. Score: 2

People often say 我喜歡你(I like you) instead of 我愛你(I love you) to avoid being too direct. Chinese tends to be more subtle when expressing romantic love (愛情).

Cantonese almost never say 我愛你(I love you). We say 我鐘意你 (I like you) instead

> How do you say you love your friends or family that you love them?

It is perfectly normal to say 我愛我的朋友 (I love my friends) or 我愛我的家人 (I love my family) because we know 愛我的朋友 refers to 友情 (friendship love); 愛我的家人 refers to 親情 (kinship love)

However, we almost never say 我愛你 to a friend or a family member face to face. The most we would say is 我很關心你 (I care about you very much) or 你對我很重要 (you are very important to me)

*If I and a friend are about to die together, the most I would say is '好兄弟!'*

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Quote:- "If I and a friend are about to die together, the most I would say is '好兄弟!'" I thought in such a dramatic situation, it is "不能在同年同日生，但能在同年同日死 ?  as in all the 武侠 movies ?  :)  
> **username_2**: BTW, I do agree that the 我愛你 is more of a "Western" cultural import.  
> **username_1**: @username_2  remove  在 in 不能在同年同日生，但能在同年同日死  make it more idiomatic  

---

