Welcome to this speaking workshop on expressing affection in Japanese. You will practice common phrases for telling someone you miss them or that they are important to you. The workshop uses recorded native examples to help you hear and repeat natural expressions. You will also learn to understand replies and choose appropriate responses. By the end, you should feel more confident using these phrases in friendly or romantic contexts. Remember, speaking practice is key, so try to repeat each phrase aloud several times.
Understanding Key Phrases
In this section, we introduce several phrases for expressing affection. The recording «会いたい。» means 'I miss you' or 'I want to see you.' It is a casual way to tell someone you are thinking of them. A more polite version is «会いたいです。», which also means 'I miss you' but is suitable for someone you are not very close to. When you want to say someone is important to you, you can use «あなたは大切です。», which means 'You mean a lot to me' or 'You are important to me.' Another phrase, «大切に思っているよ。», means 'I care about you' or 'You are precious to me.' These expressions can be used in various relationships, from friends to partners. Practice saying each one aloud, paying attention to the pronunciation and rhythm.
Responding to Affection
When someone expresses affection, it's good to know how to respond. In the recorded dialogue, speaker A says «久しぶり。会いたかったよ。», which means 'Long time no see. I missed you.' Speaker B replies with «私も会いたかった。», meaning 'I missed you too.' Later, speaker A says «あなたは本当に大切だよ。», 'You really mean a lot to me.' Speaker B responds with «ありがとう。私も大切に思っているよ。», 'Thank you. I care about you too.' Notice how the responses acknowledge the feeling and often return it. You can use these replies when someone tells you they miss you or that you are important to them. Practice the exchange with a partner or by yourself, taking turns playing each role.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
会いたい。
I miss you. / I want to see you.
aitai.
会いたいです。
I miss you. (polite)
aitai desu.
あなたは大切です。
You mean a lot to me. / You are important to me.
anata wa taisetsu desu.
大切に思っているよ。
I care about you. / You are precious to me.
taisetsu ni omotte iru yo.
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
久しぶり。会いたかったよ。
Long time no see. I missed you.私も会いたかった。
I missed you too.あなたは本当に大切だよ。
You really mean a lot to me.ありがとう。私も大切に思っているよ。
Thank you. I care about you too.Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Guided Exchange Practice
You will practice a short exchange using the recorded phrases. Imagine you are meeting a friend after a long time.
Your task: First, listen to «久しぶり。会いたかったよ。» and repeat it aloud. Then, listen to «私も会いたかった。» and repeat it. Next, listen to «あなたは本当に大切だよ。» and repeat it. Finally, listen to «ありがとう。私も大切に思っているよ。» and repeat it. After repeating each line, try to say the entire exchange from memory, playing both roles.
Reply Comprehension and Choice
You will hear a statement and choose the best reply from two options. This helps you understand and respond appropriately.
Your task: Listen to «久しぶり。会いたかったよ。». Which reply is correct? Option A: «私も会いたかった。». Option B: «ありがとう。私も大切に思っているよ。». Say your choice aloud. Then listen to «あなたは本当に大切だよ。». Which reply is correct? Option A: «私も会いたかった。». Option B: «ありがとう。私も大切に思っているよ。». Say your choice aloud.
Recall with Correct Roles
You will recall the dialogue and say the lines with the correct roles. This tests your memory and understanding of who says what.
Your task: Without looking at the text, say the line that speaker A says first. Then say speaker B's reply. Then say speaker A's next line. Finally, say speaker B's last line. Use the recordings «久しぶり。会いたかったよ。», «私も会いたかった。», «あなたは本当に大切だよ。», and «ありがとう。私も大切に思っているよ。» as your guide.
Common questions
Can I use these phrases with anyone?
These phrases express affection and are typically used with people you are close to, such as friends, family, or romantic partners. The polite version «会いたいです。» can be used with acquaintances, but the casual ones like «会いたい。» are for closer relationships. Always consider your relationship with the person before using them.
How can I practice these phrases if I don't have a partner?
You can practice by yourself by listening to the recordings and repeating each line. You can also imagine scenarios where you might use these phrases and say them aloud. Recording yourself and comparing to the native audio can help improve your pronunciation and intonation.
Sources and further reading
- japanese: express affectionChecked September 2026
Practice real time conversations on Yapr for faster learning.
Take today's Japanese into a conversation with a Yapr AI tutor. Speak, make mistakes, and try again.
Practice on Yapr