If you want to learn Japanese flirting phrases to take someone’s breath away, you’re in the right place!
When you watch shojo anime or Japanese dramas, you often see characters who are interested in each other laughing, teasing, and having fun. In Japanese, this can be translated as イチャイチャする (ichaicha suru), but in English, this is commonly called “flirting.”
In this blog post, you’ll learn how this word works and some essential Japanese phrases for flirting.
What Does Flirting Mean In Japanese?
Have you ever wondered what flirting actually means in the dictionary? When I looked up the definition in the Cambridge Dictionary, it was explained as follows:
Flirting: To behave towards somebody as if you find them sexually attractive, without seriously wanting to have a relationship with them.
There is no Japanese word that exactly matches this English word. It’s typically translated as イチャイチャする (ichaicha suru – flirting), 口説く(kudokku – to seduce), or ナンパする(nanpa suru – to pick up (someone), to flirt), but none of these can be literally translated as flirting in English. However, they’re all forms of flirting!
How To Use “Flirt/Flirting” In Context?
Flirt can be used as a verb or a noun. When it’s used as a verb, it means something like 相手の気を引こうとする、からかう(aite no ki o hikou to suru, karakau – trying to attract someone’s attention, teasing)’ as explained above. On the other hand, when used as a noun, it means 人 (hito – a person) who does such an act.
Here are some example Japanese sentences:
| English | Japanese | Romaji |
|---|---|---|
| Tim was flirting with every woman in the room. | ティムはこの部屋にいる女性全員を口説いていた | Timu wa kono heya ni iru josei zen’in o kudoku ite ita |
| He’s such a flirt. | 彼はイチャイチャしたり口説いたりせずにはいられない奴だ | Kare wa ichaicha shitari kudoku itari sezu ni wa irarenai yatsu da |
| He was being really flirty with me last night. | 昨夜、彼が私に対してすごく気があるかのように接していた | Sakuya, kare ga watashi ni taishite sugoku ki ga aru ka no you ni sesshite ita |
| She’s just naturally very flirtatious. | 彼女は生まれつき、誰にでも気があるかのように接する人なんだよ | Kanojo wa umaretsuki, dare ni demo ki ga aru ka no you ni sessuru hito nan da yo |
Japanese Flirting Phrases
I was shocked to hear that Japanese people don’t spend all their time together as couples; meeting a few times a month is enough for them. Moreover, they don’t text constantly when they don’t see each other. But this doesn’t mean they don’t love each other!
The concept of flirting is very different in Japanese culture. They don’t just court each other and give each other flowers and chocolates. And it’s unlikely you’ll see a couple kissing or hugging in public because public displays of affection are not common in Japanese society. But don’t worry, they still say sweet words and express their love to their partner in private!
So, as promised, here’s a list of Japanese flirting phrases you can say to your special someone! And if you want to learn the language from scratch or improve your existing Japanese language skills, the Ling app can help you! Download Ling from the App Store or Play Store now and get a free 7-day trial!
Compliments And Pick-Up Lines
| English | Japanese | Romaji |
| You look beautiful. Are you a model? | きれいですね。もしかしてモデルさん です か? | Kireidesu ne. Moshikashite moderu-sandesu ka? |
| You have a beautiful smile | えがおがすてきだね | Egao ga sutekidane |
| You’re (so) cute | (すごく)かわいいね | (Sugoku) kawaī ne |
| You’re really cute. | 可愛いですね。 | Kawaii desu ne |
| You’re pretty | きれいだね | Kireida ne |
| It suits you! | にあってるね | Ni atteru ne |
| You’re very funny. | 面白い方ですね。 | Omoshiroi kata desu ne |
| I love your smile. | 笑顔が素敵ですね。 | Egao ga suteki desu ne |
Getting To Know Someone
| English | Japanese | Romaji |
| What’s your name? | お名前は？ | Onamae wa? |
| Nice to meet you. | お会いできてうれしいです。 | Oaidekite ureshii desu |
| Where are you from? | どちらのご出身ですか？ | Dochira no goshussin desu ka? |
| What do you do? | お仕事は何ですか？ | Oshigoto wa nan desu ka? |
| What do you like to do for fun? | ご趣味はなんですか？ | Goshumi wa nan desu ka? |
| Do you come here often? | ここへはよく来るんですか？ | Koko e wa yoku kuru n desu ka? |
| Your job sounds interesting. | 面白そうなお仕事ですね。 | Omoshirosou na oshigoto desu ne |
| Are you here alone? | お一人ですか？ | Ohitori desu ka? |
| Do you have a boyfriend? | 彼氏はいるんですか？ | Kareshi wa iru n desu ka? |
| Do you have a girlfriend? | 彼女はいるんですか？ | Kanojo wa iru n desu ka? |
| What would you like to drink? | 何がいいですか？ | Nani ga ii desu ka? |
| Let me get this one. | 私がごちそうします。 | Watashi ga gochisoushimasu. |
| Do you like dancing? | ダンスは好きですか？ | Dansu wa suki desu ka? |
Asking Someone Out
| English | Japanese | Romaji |
| Would you like to go out to dinner sometime? | いつか晩御飯に行きませんか？ | Itsuka bangohan ni ikimasen ka? |
| Would you like to leave from here? | ここ、出ませんか？ | Koko, demasen ka? |
| Would you like to meet for coffee? | 今度、お茶でもいかがですか？ | Kondo, ocha demo ikaga desu ka? |
| Will you go out with me? | つきあってくれる | Tsukiatte kureru |
| Would you like to grab a drink with me? | もしよかったら、のみに いきませんか | Moshi yokattara, nomi ni ikimasen ka |
| Can I buy you a drink? | 一杯おごらせてください。 | Ippai ogorasete kudasai. |
| Let’s hang out! | あそびに いこう! | Asobi ni ikou! |
Expressing Feelings
| English | Japanese | Romaji |
| I want to kiss you. | キスしたい | Kisushitai |
| I like you / I really like you / I love you. | すきです / (だいすきです) | Sukidesu / Daisukidesu |
| I really like you. | あなたが大好きです。 | Anata ga daisuki desu |
| I’m in love with you. | 私はあなたに恋をしています | Watashi wa anata ni koi o shite imasu |
| I can’t get you out of my head. | きみのこといがいはかんがえられない | Kimi no koto igai wa kangae rarenai |
| Look into my eyes | ぼくのめをみて | Boku no me o mite |
| Let’s hug. | ハグしよう | Hagushiyō |
Farewells
| English | Japanese | Romaji |
| Can I see you again? | また会えますか？ | Mata aemasu ka? |
| Thanks for the great conversation. | お話しできて楽しかったです。ありがとう。 | Ohanashi dekite tanoshikatta desu. Arigatou. |
| I’m glad I came here tonight. | 今夜ここに来て良かったです。 | Konya koko ni kite yokatta desu. |
| I had a great time with you tonight. | 今夜は一緒に過ごせて楽しかったです。 | Konya wa issho ni sugosete tanoshikatta desu. |
| I’m so lucky to have met you. | お会いできて良かったです。 | Oaidekite yokatta desu. |
Final Words
I’m guessing you have a special Japanese person in your life since you’re reading this blog post. Hopefully, some of these Japanese flirting phrases will help you win their heart!
And if you want to learn some Japanese love phrases to express your romantic feelings, make sure to read our related article! See you next time, またね!
