# Questions about Japanese language

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-japanese-language/343997>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 11, 2006, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-japanese-language/343997 "2006-02-11T15:23:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Caseinpoint](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90db22/32.png) [@Caseinpoint](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caseinpoint)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2006, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-japanese-language/343997/41 "2006-02-15T23:56:54Z")

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We see the same usage in Hokkaido, but if you’re speaking with friends or other casual acquaintances it’s more common to say “Suki/koi ni shihareta”, which translates roughly as “He/she (the target of our subject’s love) had herself get fallen in love with”.

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**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-japanese-language/343997/42 "2006-02-16T05:12:52Z")

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What about 愛します _ai shimasu_? In which context would you use _ai shimasu_? Where does it fit in on the spectrum of politeness, deference, indirection, etc.?

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**Author:** ![Caseinpoint](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90db22/32.png) [@Caseinpoint](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caseinpoint)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-japanese-language/343997/43 "2006-02-16T10:25:58Z")

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I’m actually pretty sure that you can’t say ‘ai shimasu’, since I’m getting an ungrammatical reading for it… “aishiteiru” is a very, very idiomatic expression, and despite the fact that you can conjugate the ‘suru’ in practically every possible form, if I try to use the polite ‘shimasu’ I instantly get an alarm bell insisting that it’s ungrammatical. (on a similiar note, if I say ‘koi shimasu’ it doesn’t seem ungrammatical but it also doesn’t mean anything.)

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**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2006, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-japanese-language/343997/44 "2006-02-21T17:33:28Z")

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Ok, I was just reading a book this morning that had a great example of “suki desu” and “aisheteiru”. Here’s the passage in romaji:

Shinobu & Suguru are in a passionate embrace. (told you I read torrid crap)

Shinobu: (whispering to Suguru) Suguru-san, daisuki da _(Suguru, I really like you)_

Suguru: boku mo _(me too)_ aisheteiru yo _(I love you)_

Shinobu: a…ai? o…o…ore mo! \* (lo…love? ME TOO!)\*

I should note that Suguru is an adult in his late twenties and Shinobu is a senior in high school. (without getting into ethics, this is a really common age pairing in Japanese romances) So Suguru uses “boku” but Shinobu uses the rougher “ore”.

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