| sci.lang.japan FAQ / 13. Etiquette | Search: |
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Courtesan reading a love letter by Utamaro |
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In dictionaries "love" may be given as aisuru (愛する). Opinions vary about how much this is actually used in Japanese.
There have been two traditional answers for how to say "I love you".
Words for lover include koibito (恋人) "girl/boyfriend", kareshi (彼氏), "boyfriend", kanojo (彼女) "girlfriend". Koibumi (恋文) means "love letter". Katakana raburetaa (ラブレター) is also used. Other words for love are kesou-suru (懸想する), shibo-suru (思慕する), renbo-suru (恋慕する), and ren-ai (恋愛).
Edited from posts by Tanaka Tomoyuki.
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