How to : What Does It Mean When Someone Says “The Moon Is Beautiful, Isn’t It?”

Things You Should Know

“The moon is beautiful, isn’t it?” could mean “I love you” in Japanese. It can be used to express romantic feelings indirectly, which is the norm in Japanese culture.
The most popular response is “Shin demo ii wa” (I can die happy), which is a way of saying “I love you too.”
You can also reply with “Sou desu ne” (It’s true, isn’t it?), which hints that you feel the same way, or “Anata mo utsukushii” (So are you) to be more flirtatious.

Section 1 of 3:

“The moon is beautiful, isn’t it?” can mean “I love you” in Japanese. It’s meant to express love indirectly, since in Japanese culture it’s sometimes considered rude to directly state your feelings or needs. Instead of saying “Sorry, I can’t make it to your party,” for instance, a more appropriate reply would be, “That would be a little inconvenient for me.”^{[1]

X

Research source

Likewise, saying “I love you” might be too direct, so you might say “tsuki ga kirei desu ne” (The moon is beautiful, isn’t it) instead.^{[2]

X

Research source}

The phrase is a kind of “code” or secret sign of affection. Not all Japanese people know it, but those who do will know what you’re trying to say.}

Section 2 of 3:

1
“Shin demo ii wa” (I can die happy). This could mean “I love you, too,” and it’s the most popular response. You could say this to convey very strong mutual love. While it’s indirect and a bit dramatic, they’ll know what you’re really saying.^{[3]

X

Research source

Remember that “ii” is pronounced “e,” as in “she.” The sound lasts for two syllables, so you should stretch out the sound a bit as you say it: “eeee.”^{[4]

X

Research source}}
2
“Sou desu ne” (It’s true, isn’t it?). This could mean “You’re right” or “I agree,” which could be a subtle hint that you feel the same way. The phrase “Sou desu ne” is a common Japanese expression, so any speaker would be familiar with it.^{[5]

X

Research source

“Sou” is pronounced as “Soh,” as in “Oh.” The “oh” part is stretched out, like “Sooooo.”^{[6]

X

Research source}}
3
“Anata mo utsukushii” (So are you). Say this if you want to be more direct. While a Japanese person may not normally say this, it might be less surprising to hear from a non-Japanese person.
- The “ii” is a long vowel, pronounced like “sheeee.”
4
“Hai, demo sore ni fureru koto wa dekimasen” (Yes, but you can’t touch it). Say this to turn someone down indirectly, but clearly. This implication is that they may want you, but they can’t have you.
- Although this statement sounds blunt in English, the grammar in Japanese is respectful and polite.

Section 3 of 3:

Submit a Tip

All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published

Submit

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!