How can i say 'to love' in romanji?

[Lewis]

hey guys
how i can say 'to love' in romanji!

[Ongakuka]

"ai suru" = To love

[Lewis]

okay but why 'suru'?

[Lewis]

can i say ai'ru'?

[nprz]

Lewis wrote:
can i say ai'ru'?

no, but you could say: ai'rabu'yuu = I love you.

also, it is romaji, not romanji.

[nprz]

Lewis wrote:
okay but why 'suru'?

Because ai is a noun and not a verb. To make it a verb, you use the verb suru, which is "to do".

[Sachi]

I know I'm not the "asker" but I've wanted to know the same thing. So, can you string "suru" with many other verbs? Would "emi suru" mean to smile (note: I just looked it up in a dictoionary and saw "emu" as the verb "to smile", but could "emi suru" also be used?)

[InsanityRanch]

tsukiakari_emi34 wrote:
I know I'm not the "asker" but I've wanted to know the same thing. So, can you string "suru" with many other verbs? Would "emi suru" mean to smile (note: I just looked it up in a dictoionary and saw "emu" as the verb "to smile", but could "emi suru" also be used?)

As so often, the answer is no... and yes. <g>

Japanese (like English) loves to borrow words. There are many languages which avoid word-borrowing. For instance, there is a French academy that tries to find French ways of saying new words rather than borrowing them from English (because a lot of words are being invented in English right now.)

But Japanese and English love to borrow. Both have been borrowing for centuries.

One very large set of borrowed words in Japanese come from Chinese. Among these are words which are (more or less) nouns, but which are usually used as verbs. To make a foreign noun into a verb, Japanese adds "suru" and then conjugates the "suru" part.

So, 愛 (ai = love) is a Chinese word that was borrowed into Japanese. It is a noun. But it is used as a verb by adding "suru" -- hence, "ai suru". If you look in a dictionary like JDIC, you will find many words with the notation (vs) meaning, this word + suru functions as a verb. In other words, there are a specific set of words in Japanese known as "suru-verbs".

Recently, of course, Japanese has been borrowing a lot of English words. And to make verbs of them, you add "suru". テニスする -- to play tennis. ダンスする -- to dance. Adding "suru" to foreign nouns is a regular feature of the Japanese language.

So that's the "no" part of the answer. You can't just take Japanese nouns willy-nilly and add suru and turn them into verbs. Or rather, of course you can, but it won't sound like natural Japanese.

(Incidentally, the verb usually used with "emi" is ukabu/ukaberu -- in Japanese, smiles float!)

Now for the "yes" part of the answer. Sometimes in Japanese you can use the noun form of a verb + suru. "Hanashi wo suru" is to have a talk, for instance.

The problem is, I don't know if there is a rule for this or if certain verbs can work this way and others cannot.

HTH!

Shira

[Darbai]

Actually guys "Ai suru" means "to love" yes but that is mostly used in names of novels or movies. The real thing that you use in plain speech is "suki".
This is not treated as your usual verb though so when you want to say I love you you actually say anata ga suki desu which directly translates to something like you are like.
When you say that I love this or that you use it in the same way.
Suki means like but can be used as love. Another stronger word is daisuki which directly translates as great like and would be more appropiate for declearing your love to someone.

[Harisenbon]

Darbai wrote:
Actually guys "Ai suru" means "to love" yes but that is mostly used in names of novels or movies. The real thing that you use in plain speech is "suki".

I disagree. Ai suru just represents a more deep and emotional connection that suki. I tell my wife ai suru all the time. If I said suki all the time, she would probably start to feel unloved

This is not treated as your usual verb though so when you want to say I love you you actually say anata ga suki desu which directly translates to something like you are like.

ga in this point is a marker for the direct object. I like you would be the direct translation.

[AJBryant]

If I said suki all the time, she would probably start to feel unloved

Kinda ironic, though, since it was probably the first word you used to express that certain butterfly-tummy feeling you had for her.

I also find it odd that "suki" is pretty much a "I'm nuts about you" for your sweetie-pie term, but foods we like tend to get "daisuki" ....

Tony

[Lewis]

thanks guys!!!!!!:D

[Harisenbon]

AJBryant wrote:
Kinda ironic, though, since it was probably the first word you used to express that certain butterfly-tummy feeling you had for her.

Definately. =) But it's the same in English. If I told someone I wanted to date that I loved them right off the bat, they might run away screaming (that's what we have bear traps for *grin*). But if I tell them that I like them, it's all happy. However, after 10 years if I still am saying "boy, I sure do like you" It sounds kinda funny.

AJBryant wrote:
I also find it odd that "suki" is pretty much a "I'm nuts about you" for your sweetie-pie term, but foods we like tend to get "daisuki" ....

That or まいうぅ！ *grin* Have you seen that one? It's from the debuya TV show.

[AJBryant]

That or まいうぅ！ *grin* Have you seen that one? It's from the debuya TV show.

I've heard about it, but I've never actually heard anyone use it myself.

That reminds me of the ubiquitous food-travelogues we (used to?) have on Japanese TV, where some innocent josei tarento puts some weird local delicacy (poached sea slugs in deep grease) and, even through her grimmace, mutters "umai!"

Tony

[Harisenbon]

*grin* it's great fun to make fun of the TV food tasters. Because, no matter what they think, they have to say umai. I was watching a semi-interview with an ex-idol who did a couple of those food tasting shows, and she said that one time she threw up inside her mouth while eating, and still managed to say umai on camera.

=) That's just hard core.