Page "Love" Paragraph 37

In contemporary Chinese, Ai ( 愛 ) is often used as the equivalent of the Western concept of love.

Ai is used as both a verb ( e. g. wo ai ni 我愛你, or " I love you ") and a noun ( such as aiqing 愛情, or " romantic love ").

However, due to the influence of Confucian Ren, the phrase ‘ Wo ai ni ’ ( I love you ) carries with it a very specific sense of responsibility, commitment and loyalty.

Instead of frequently saying " I love you " as in some Western societies, the Chinese are more likely to express feelings of affection in a more casual way.

Consequently, " I like you " ( Wo xihuan ni, 我喜欢你 ) is a more common way of expressing affection in Chinese ; it is more playful and less serious.

This is also true in Japanese ( suki da, 好きだ ).

The Chinese are also more likely to say " I love you " in English or other foreign languages than they would in their mother tongue.