You say நான் உன்னைக் காதலிக்கிறேன் ｢nāṉ uṉṉaik kātalikkiṟēṉ｣ in Tamil. This is romantic love, the words you say to a partner.
நான் உன்னைக் காதலிக்கிறேன்
nāṉ uṉṉaik kātalikkiṟēṉ
I love you
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- Speaker A
நான் உன்னைக் காதலிக்கிறேன்.
nāṉ uṉṉaik kātalikkiṟēṉ.
I love you.
- Speaker B
நானும் உன்னைக் காதலிக்கிறேன்.
nāṉum uṉṉaik kātalikkiṟēṉ.
I love you too.
Romantic love
The verb in this phrase comes from காதல், romantic love. So say it to a boyfriend, a girlfriend, a husband or a wife. உன்னை is the familiar "you", which is how partners usually speak to each other.
Love in the family
Tamil has another word for love: அன்பு, the love and care between parents, children, brothers and sisters. But many Tamil families do not say "I love you" in words very often. Love is shown in other ways. A mother asks சாப்பிட்டீர்களா? A father calls to check that you got home safely. A grandmother keeps food ready for you.
So do not use this romantic phrase with your parents or your grandparents. It would sound strange. With family, warm questions and small acts of care say the same thing.
When to say it
Say it when you feel it, in private, to the person you love. Tamil films and songs use காதல் a lot, so learners often know the word before they meet the phrase. The answer is நானும் உன்னைக் காதலிக்கிறேன், "I love you too".
Related phrases
I miss you
உன்னை நினைத்துக்கொண்டிருக்கிறேன்
Happy birthday
இனிய பிறந்தநாள் வாழ்த்துகள்
Have you eaten?
சாப்பிட்டீர்களா?