10 Ways To Say ‘I Miss You’ in Japanese

How to Say “I Miss You” in Japanese

well, there is no exact equivalent expression in Japanese for i miss you . In fact, we don’t have the same expression for “I miss you” when we say it to our boyfriend or girlfriend and when we say it to our friends and family. There are also many shades of “I miss you” that give different impressions to our romantic partner.

Sometimes the guy or the girl you fancy might feel pressured if you use the wrong expression of “I miss you.” Here, I will tell you 10 ways to say “I miss you” in Japanese and how to use them. If you can master some “I miss you” Japanese equivalence, you will be able to communicate better with Japanese without misunderstanding.

1. Aitai (I want to see you)

The most standard translation of the expression “I miss you” would be “aitai,” which literally means “I want to see you” in Japanese. It’s an excellent translation to use when you miss your romantic partner. When you haven’t seen your boyfriend or girlfriend for a while, you can tell him/her “aitai.” Although you can use this expression to tell directly and honestly how you feel, it sounds too direct in some situations.

If your romantic partner is too busy and unable to see you, he/she would feel pressured if you say “aitai.” It’s also recommended not to repeat this word too many times in order to avoid sounding too needy. Therefore I recommend you to use it only on special occasion.

2. Aenakute Samishii (I feel lonely that we don’t see each other)
You can also tell your boyfriend or girlfriend that you miss him/her by saying “aenakute samishii” which is equivalent of “I feel lonely that we don’t see each other” in English. This expression is commonly used by women. When you haven’t seen your boyfriend and you miss him, you can tell him “Aenakute samishii.”Using it right, you sound really cute and sweet. Just like “aitai,” however, you shouldn’t repeat it too many times. It will make you sound needy, on the contrary.

3. Hayaku Koewo Kikitai na (I want to hear your voice very soon)
When you are too busy to see or to talk to your romantic partner, you can say “hayaku koewo kikitai na.” It indicates that you want talk to your boyfriend or girlfriend. Men rarely say “aitai” or “samishii” when they miss their girlfriend.Therefore if you want to sound more masculine, you can say “hayaku koewo kikitai na” instead of “aitai.” Of course, this expression doesn’t sound strange for girls to use. It’s just an indirect way of saying that you miss your romantic partner.

4. Ima, Kimino Kotowo Kangaeteita (I was just thinking about you)
It’s also an expression commonly used by men. As I told you earlier, most men don’t usually say “aitai” or “samishii.” It sounds more masculine to say “I miss you” in indirect ways. When you miss your girlfriend, you can send her a message, “Ima, kimino kotowo kangaeteita,” which means “I was just thinking about you.”

It seems to me this expression has closer meaning to “I miss you” in English. When you say “I miss you” in English, it doesn’t mean “I want to see you.” You are just expressing your desire to see someone. This expression works in the same way. It’s also very romantic to receive this message from the man we like.

5. Aerukana (Can I see you?)
When we are young, we are more likely to say “aitai” or “samishii.” If you are a mature man or woman, on the other hand, those expressions sound childish and immature. Therefore it’s better to say “aerukana,” which is equivalent of “can I see you?” in English.

You would sound more mature and sophisticated. Although this expression seems like directly asking your partner to see you, it’s not as direct as it seems. In fact, it sounds less needy than saying “aitai.” For Japanese, it sounds like “I would like to see you if you have time.” It leaves a lot of space for the other to choose when they want see you or not.

6. Kaoga Mitai na (I want to see your face)
Sometimes in your busy life, it’s not easy to see your boyfriend or girlfriend very often. Yet you don’t want to sound needy by saying “aitai” all the time. If that’s the case, you can say, “kaoga mitai na” instead. It’s also an indirect way to tell your romantic partner that you miss him/her.When you send a message to your romantic partner, you can add “hayaku kaoga mitai na” (I want to see your face soon). With this expression, your partner won’t feel any pressure to see you, but understand that you miss him/her.

7. Aitaku Nacchatta (I suddenly want to see you)
If you are a girl and want to sound cute in front of your boyfriend, you can say “aitaku nacchatta” instead of “aitai.” It’s a very cute and girlish way of saying “I miss you.” Although “aitai” sounds very needy if you repeat it frequently, “aitaku nacchata” doesn’t sound very needy even though it basically means the same thing.It’s a great expression to use if you want to sound cute. If your boyfriend loves cute and girly girls, he might consider seeing you even if he is busy and tired.

8. Sukoshi Demo Aetara Ureshii na (I would be happy to see you even a short period of time)
It’s an expression that you can use when you just started to date someone. The other previous expressions are more appropriate when you are in couple. If you have just started to see someone, however, those expressions can be taken as needy or pushy.Therefore if you want to see the guy or the girl you just started seeing, it’s better to say “sukoshi demo aetara ureshii na.” It shows that you are interested in him/her without telling directly that “I miss you because I love you.”

9. Mata Aitai Ne (let’s see each other soon)
I have mainly told you how to say “I miss you” in romantic situations until now. But when you want to tell your friends “I miss you,” you can say “mata aitai ne,” which means “let’s see each other soon.”When you miss your friends who you haven’t seen for a long time, you can say “mata aitai ne.” It means something like “I miss you and see you soon” in English. It’s a friendly way of saying “I miss you.”

10. Oaidekinaku Narunowa Samishii Desu (I will be sad not to be able to see you)
When you stay with Japanese family or work with Japanese people, you might want to say, “I am going to miss you” when you leave them.You now know that “aitai” is inappropriate in this situation. Instead you can say “oaidekinaku narunowa samishii desu,” which is equivalent of “I am going to miss you.” It’s a very polite way to tell your host family or work colleagues that you are going to miss them.

Via: Spin Japan