我爱你 How to Say I Love You in Chinese

明天míngtiān我wǒ去qù北京Běijīng学习xuéxí。

Tomorrow I'm going to Beijing to study.

妈妈māma看kàn我wǒ的de衣服yīfu和hé书shū，她tā说shuō：“你nǐ去qù北京Běijīng，我wǒ在zài家jiā，我wǒ想xiǎng你nǐ。”

Mom looks at my clothes and books and says, "You'll be in Beijing and I'll be at home. I'll miss you."

我wǒ说shuō：“妈妈māma，我wǒ爱ài你nǐ。”

I say, "Mom, I love you."

妈妈māma说shuō：“我wǒ也yě爱ài你nǐ。”

Mom says, "I love you too."

我wǒ喜欢xǐhuan学校xuéxiào，喜欢xǐhuan朋友péngyou，我wǒ爱ài爸爸bàba妈妈māma。

I like school and I like my friends — but it's my mom and dad I love.

🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

爱àito love

喜欢xǐhuanto like

想xiǎngto miss; to think of

妈妈māmamom

爸爸bàbadad

学习xuéxíto study

我爱你 — saying I love you

爱 is strong in Chinese. It is used for family and partners, not for things you merely enjoy: 我爱你 = I love you.

妈妈，我爱你。 — Mom, I love you.

喜欢 vs 爱 — like vs love

喜欢 covers liking things, places and friends; 爱 is saved for the people closest to you. Saying 我爱苹果 for a fruit sounds odd — use 喜欢.

我喜欢朋友，我爱爸爸妈妈。 — I like my friends; I love my mom and dad.

也 — also, too

也 goes before the verb, never at the end of the sentence the way English "too" does.

我也爱你。 — I love you too.

1. Where is the narrator going tomorrow?

2. Where will Mom be while the narrator is in Beijing?

3. According to the last line, who does the narrator love?

After this reading

I'm Fei, and I teach Mandarin one-on-one on Preply. Bring this text to a trial lesson — we'll fix your tones and turn it into a real conversation.