How do you tell your parents and siblings you love them?


In English we describe the affection you have for your parents and siblings as
"love", however this is vary different from the feelings of romantic love,
things like limerence and sexual arousal, which (unless something's gone
horribly wrong) you most definitely do not feel for your parents and siblings.

Thus I must ask; how is this expressed in Japanese? Not only in terms of
whether they equate this affection with love or not, but also in terms of the
terminology and set phrases most commonly used to express it.

You know, in English we equate this affection with romantic love, and use
generic phrases like "I love you mommy!", with any more complex or poetic way
of expressing it being incredibly rare, unlike with romantic love, where such
poetic confessions are quite common.




> How do you tell your parents and siblings you love them?

I've never heard that someone especially tells their own parents and siblings
they love them in my country and culture, which is Japanese.

> In English we describe the affection you have for your parents and siblings
> as "love", however this is vary different from the feelings of romantic
> love, things like limerence and sexual arousal, which (unless something's
> gone horribly wrong) you most definitely do not feel for your parents and
> siblings.
>
> Thus I must ask; how is this expressed in Japanese?

The translation of English 'love' is 愛｛あい｝ and I think I've never noticed any
difference in the definition between Japanese and English.

> Not only in terms of whether they equate this affection with love or not,
> but also in terms of the terminology and set phrases most commonly used to
> express it.  
>  You know, in English we equate this affection with romantic love, and use
> generic phrases like "I love you mommy!", with any more complex or poetic
> way of expressing it being incredibly rare, unlike with romantic love, where
> such poetic confessions are quite common.

We don't have that tradition. We would choose to express _**gratitude**_ to
our parents. A young parents might teach their small children to tell them
おかあさん、 **すき** 、おとうさん、すき, but ...well, I don't know, but I don't think many
people successfully keep them saying that to them for so long. Rather, I think
we teach them to thank them; おとうさん、おかあさん、 **ありがとう**. To our siblings... I
think we don't have any fixed expression that is commonly used.




> How do you tell your parents and siblings you love them?

I've never heard that someone especially tells their own parents and siblings
they love them in my country and culture, which is Japanese.

> In English we describe the affection you have for your parents and siblings
> as "love", however this is vary different from the feelings of romantic
> love, things like limerence and sexual arousal, which (unless something's
> gone horribly wrong) you most definitely do not feel for your parents and
> siblings.
>
> Thus I must ask; how is this expressed in Japanese?

The translation of English 'love' is 愛｛あい｝ and I think I've never noticed any
difference in the definition between Japanese and English.

> Not only in terms of whether they equate this affection with love or not,
> but also in terms of the terminology and set phrases most commonly used to
> express it.  
>  You know, in English we equate this affection with romantic love, and use
> generic phrases like "I love you mommy!", with any more complex or poetic
> way of expressing it being incredibly rare, unlike with romantic love, where
> such poetic confessions are quite common.

We don't have that tradition. We would choose to express _**gratitude**_ to
our parents. A young parents might teach their small children to tell them
おかあさん、 **すき** 、おとうさん、すき, but ...well, I don't know, but I don't think many
people successfully keep them saying that to them for so long. Rather, I think
we teach them to thank them; おとうさん、おかあさん、 **ありがとう**. To our siblings... I
think we don't have any fixed expression that is commonly used.

