Learn 20 Japanese Love Quotes with Translations

Today you’re going to learn some sweet Japanese love quotes.

Why?

You’re learning Japanese, right? You’ll learn lots of words and grammar here. Plus, everyone loves love quotes.

So take this lesson and…

• Read, review, and read out loud – YELL these words!
  
• Print it out as physical review material (I like printing stuff)
• Save images for your personal use (as flashcards)

Native Japanese Quotes About Love

How about some native Japanese love quotes first?

The kind that native speakers use.

Keep in mind that the translations might sound unusual and that they need some explanation.

1.  愛、屋烏に及ぶ

• Ai, okuu ni oyobu
• Love will even reach the crows on the roof.

This Japanese love saying is used to describe a “strong love.”

But, what does it mean exactly?

Imagine a person that’s madly in love. So in love that even the crows that land on his roof will also feel it and fall in love. A love so strong that it will even affect the crows!

Why crows? Probably because crows are common in Japan and they sit on rooftops.

2.  愛してその醜を忘る

• Ai shite sono shuu wo wasuru
• Love and lose ugliness

When you love someone that you forget and see past their their imperfections and ugly points.

This is kind of like “love is blind” but which a more positive angle.

3.  愛は小出しにせよ

• Ai wa kodashi ni seyo
• Love in small amounts

Why?

Ever notice how couples that are madly in love, or even if it’s just one-sided, tend to crash and burn? This is what this Japanese love quote refers to.

The secret to keeping love alive for a long time is to not go nuts but go little by little.

4.  一押し二金三男

• Ichi oshi, ni kane, san otoko
• First strength, second money, third man

First, you got to be strong and aggressive. You also have to have money.

And of course, you have to be handsome and/or have the preferable characteristics of a man.

According to this saying, these are the 3 requirements needed to persuade a woman.

5.  本木にまさる末木なし

• Motoki ni masaru uraki nashi
• It’s impossible to replace one’s first love.

6.  色気より食い気

• Iroke yori kuike
• Food before romance

Kuike means appetite and iroke means interest in the opposite sex.

So, go figure!

7. 嬉しい恋が積もれば、恋をせぬ昔がかえって恋しかろ。

• Ureshii koi ga tsumoreba, koi o senu mukashi ga kaette koishikaro.
• If you experience happy love, you may start to long for the days before you fall in love.

This famous Japanese love quote by Soseki Natsume, one of the most prominent Japanese novelists, represents the feeling when you have experienced an enjoyable love but you start to long for the past.

He is expressing how you may start to wish to be the person you were before you were in love.

8. 女性が綺麗になる方法は二つあります。｢いい恋をすること｣と｢悪い恋をやめてしまうこと｣です。

• Josei ga kirei ni naru houhou wa futatsu arimasu. Koi o suru koto to warui koi o yamete shimau koto desu.
• There are two ways for a woman to become beautiful. “Having a good love” and “quitting a bad love”.

This is a quote by Akemi Hamao, a famous newscaster and essayist.

She believes women who are in a good relationship will become more beautiful inside and out but it can also be the same benefit when you let go of a bad love.

Being unhappy can have physical effects so it makes sense that she would recommend women to let go of bad relationships to appear more beautiful.

9. 恋愛は、チャンスではないと思う。私はそれを意志だと思う。

• Renai wa, chansude wa nai to omou. Watashi wa sore o ishida to omou.
• I don’t think love is a chance. I think it’s a will.

Osamu Dazai, a notable novelist in Japanese literature, said this quote about love.

He believes that love isn’t by chance but there needs to also be will involved. He is referring to the fact that love requires the will of two people and it cannot simply be left up to chance for it to blossom.

10. 蒔かぬ種は生えぬ。

• Makanu tane wa haenu.
• Seeds that are not sown never grow

This is a Japanese saying about love which describes the situation when you don’t dare to tell someone your feelings.

When sowing seeds, without doing any actions, the seeds will never grow.

In this way, it is a great reminder to take action if you have any feelings towards someone so that the love has a chance to grow.

11. 幸福な結婚というのは、いつでも離婚できる状態でありながら、離婚したくない状態である。

• Koufukuna kekkon to iu no wa, itsu demo rikon dekiru joutaidearinagara, rikon shitakunai joutaidearu
• A happy marriage is one where you can always divorce but you don’t want to do so.

Japanese novelist, Minako Oba, said these words about love.

She describes how you shouldn’t be married because you cannot live without the other person. Instead, it should be that you are both independent enough that you could divorce if you wished, but you both choose to decide to be together. True love means that you’re both there even though you don’t need the other person socially or financially.

12. 人は、人を愛していると思い込み、実は自分自身だけしか愛していない場合が多い。

• Hito wa, hito o aishite iruto omoikomi, jitsuwa jibun jishin dake shika aishite inai baai ga ooi.
• People often think they love others, but in reality, they only love themselves.

Jakucho Setouchi was an important nun and writer.

This is an important quote about love because it reminds us to look within ourselves to see whether we truly love the other person or if we are thinking in our interest. In many cases Setouchi feels that we think we love someone when we’re still putting ourselves first.

13. 恋は二つとない大切な生活材料だ。真面目にこの関所にぶつかれば人間は運命を知る。

• Koi wa futatsu to nai taisetsuna seikatsu zairyouda. Majime ni kono sekisho ni butsukareba ningen wa unmei o shiru.
• Love is a unique and important ingredient in life. If humans seriously encounter this checkpoint, they will know their fate.

Hyakuzo Kurata said this quote about love which refers to the way that love is one of the key things that can determine your fate and life path.

Kurata believed that people should consider their love very carefully and not overlook it.

14. 男女の仲というのは、夕食を二人っきりで三度して、それでどうにかならなかったときはあきらめろ。

• Danjo no naka to iu no wa, yuushoku o futarikkiri de sando shite, sorede dounika naranakatta toki wa akiramero.
• When it comes to relationships between men and women, have three dinners just the two of you, and if that doesn’t work, give up.

This is a quote by film director Yasujirou Ozu about love and relationships. It is good advice for struggling relationships because if it cannot be solved after having three face-to-face conversations it might be time to think about moving on. If we care about the other person, it can be hard to let relationships go, but Ozu says this quote to put things realistically.

15. 枯れない花はないが、咲かない花はある。

• Karenaihana wa naiga, sakanai hana wa aru.
• There are no flowers that never wither, but there are flowers that never bloom.

The notable manga artist and novelist Nisio Isin is quoted with these words.

This is a great reminder to take a new step in love and have the courage to move forward. If no one takes the first step, there will never be a love that blooms.

It is also beautiful in the way that he mentions that there are no flowers that never wither, but to take the chance for a flower to bloom.

16. 間違った恋をしたけど、間違いではなかった。

• Machigatta koi o shitakedo machigai de wa nakatta.
• I fell in love in the wrong way but it was not a mistake.

Japanese pop singer, Hikaru Utada, famously said these words about love and breakups. Although you may fall in love with the wrong person, it is never a mistake.

All experiences with love can be valuable life lessons that you can remember and learn from.

Non-Native Quotes About Love

Now, let’s try non-native ones.

Why? Well, because Japanese learners will always ask “how do I say <insert long love quote> in Japanese?” Sometimes these can be translated, sometimes not really.

But, let’s throw some in…

Keep in mind, native speakers wouldn’t use these. This is for entertainment purposes only.

17. I may not be your first date, kiss, or love, but I want to be your last.

• 私はあなたが最初にデート、キスした人、あるいは最初の恋人じゃないかもしれませんが、あなたの最後の人になりたいです。
• Watashi wa anata ga saisho ni dēto, kisushita hito janai kamo shiremasen ga, anata no saigo no hito ni naritai desu.

18. Thank you for always being my rainbow after the storm.

• いつも嵐の後の私の虹でいてくれてありがとう。
• itsumo arashi no ato no watashi no niji de itekurete arigatō.

19.  I’m much more me when I’m with you.

• 私はあなたと一緒にいる時、もっと私らしくなる。
• watashi wa anata to issho ni iru toki, motto watashi rashiku naru.

20.  If I did anything right in my life, it was when I gave my heart to you.

• 私が人生において正しいことをしたならば、それは私のハートをあなたにあげた時です。
• watashi ga jinsē ni oite tadashī koto o shita naraba, sore wa watashi no hāto o anata ni ageta toki desu.

21.  I don’t need paradise because I found you. I don’t need dreams because I have you.

• 私はあなたを見つけたので、楽園は要りません。私にはあなたがいるので、夢は要りません。
• watashi wa anata o mitsuketa node, rakuen wa irimasen. watashi niwa anata ga irunode, yume wa irimasen.

22.  I swear I couldn’t love you more than I do right now, and yet I know I will tomorrow.

• 私は今よりもあなたを愛することができないと誓います。もう、未来のことがわかっています。
• watashi wa ima yori mo anata o aisuru koto ga dekinai to chikaimasu. mō mirai no koto ga wakatte imasu.

23.  To love is nothing. To be loved is something. But to love and be loved is everything.

• 愛することは何もありません。愛されることは何かがあります。でも、愛することと愛されることは全てです。
• aisuru koto wa nanimo arimasen. aisareru koto wa nanika ga arimasu. demo, aisurukoto to aisareru koto wa subete desu.

24.  When I look at you, I see the rest of my life in front of my eyes.

• 私があなたを見るとき、目の前に私の残りの人生が見えます。
• watashi ga anata o miru toki, me no mae ni watashi no nokori no jinsē ga miemasu.

25. If I know what love is, it is because of you.

• 私は愛とは何かを知っているのであれば、それはあなたのおかげです。
• watashi ga ai towa nanika o shitteiru node areba, sore wa anata no okage desu.

26. Love is like the wind, you can’t see it, but you can feel it.

• 愛は風のよう、あなたはそれを見ることはできませんが、それを感じることができます。
• ai wa kaze no yō, anata wa sore o miru koto wa dekimasen ga, sore o kanjiru koto ga dekimasu.

Hold on!

Can we take a comedic detour here? I’m sorry but I thought there’s a hilarious opportunity here to switch out some words. We can take 愛 (ai) and replace it with the Japanese word for fart. You can learn on my list of bad Japanese words here. Fart is おなら(Onara).

• A fart is like the wind, you can’t see but, but you can feel it.
• 愛は風のよう、あなたはそれを見ることはできませんが、それを感じることができます。
• ai wa kaze no yō, anata wa sore o miru koto wa dekimasen ga, sore o kanjiru koto ga dekimasu.

You can also smell it. Okay, back to the topic at hand – Japanese Love Quotes!

27.  Everywhere I look I am reminded of your love. You are my world.

• どこを見ても、私はあなたの愛を思い出します。あなたは私の世界です。
• doko o mite mo watashi wa anata no ai o omoidashimasu. anata wa watashi no sekai desu.

28.  I want to be your favorite hello and your hardest goodbye.

• 私はあなたのお気にいりのハローに、そして一番難しいグッバイになりたいです。
• watashi wa anata no okiniiri no haro ni, soshite ichiban muzukashī gubbai ni naritai desu.

29.  If I were to live my life again, I’d find you sooner.

• 生まれ変わったら、あなたをもっと早く見つけるだろう。
• umarekawattara, anata o motto hayaku mitsukeru darō.

30.  Together with you is my favorite place to be.

• あなたのそばが、私のお気に入りの場所です。
• anata no soba ga, watashi no okiniiri no basho desu.

Conclusion