Say Love in Chinese
Ever wanted to be able to say those three special words--I love you--to a special someone, but in a different language? Maybe to spice it up, make it more exotic and different? Well learning to say "I love you" in Chinese is perfect!
Contents
Steps
- The phrase for saying "I love you" in Chinese, in pinyin, is "wo ai ni" or 我爱你 in calligraphy. If you already speak Chinese, then it shouldn't be too hard to pronounce the phrase correctly. Wo is the third tone, ai is the fourth tone, and ni is of the third tone. Tones represent how the word is spoken and are very important; if the tone is wrong, what you say can become a completely different word! It's like homophones, except with an extremely subtle difference.
- The third tone in wo means that the sound is pronounced with the tone first going down, then up. Imagine a rollercoaster ride and you're going down a dip, then coming back up again. That's how wo should be pronounced, going down, then up.
- The fourth tone just goes down and doesn't come back up, unlike the third tone, so ai should be pronounced like you're slashing a knife downwards. It should be somewhat sharp, but don't cut it too short; remember the tone needs to be clear so we know which word you're saying.
- Ni is, again, the third tone so the sound should go up and down like for wo.
- Practice stringing these syllables together to get the phrase "I love you." Wo is I, ai is love and ni is you. You can look up sound clips on the internet if you're unsure of your pronunciation, and be sure to practice it until it flows comfortably from you. You don't want to sound jerky and amateurish when you say it, or it'll lose its special exoticness. It's a special phrase, so learn it well before you use it!
Tips
- If you're really keen about Chinese, you could try learning it. It has many benefits and is a lovely language. Be warned it may be hard to master the tones though!
Warnings
- Saying "wo ai ni" in Chinese is much more serious than the English counterpart of "I love you", so it is unacceptable to use when addressing normal friends. Chinese culture is very different from American culture, and the meaning of "I love you" is very strong and serious in China. In addition, saying "wo ai ni" to parents, relatives, extended family, etc. is also considered odd if you are not a very young child. In general, this phrase is strictly restricted to your lover.
Related Articles
- Say Mother in Chinese
