daisuki vs. aishiteru

I'm a little bit confused between daisuki and aishiteru. I tried to read some posts, but instead of getting a clearer view, it made me confused more because each has different explanation.

Here are my questions:
1) If you want to tell a japanese (bf/gf) that you love him/her, what will you use? daisuki or aishiteru?
2) What is the impact if a japanese guy tell his gaijin gf aishiteru instead of daisuki?
3) Why is aishiteru seldom/rarely used?

Thank you to for the time and reply on this post :)

The way I've always used it and have seen it been used is that daisuki is mainly used to say you really love things (like food, places, games, etc.) and when used on a person it's less serious then aishiteru. Not saying that daisuki can't be serious, but it's not AS serious as aishiteru

so for 1) if you're VERY serious about the love you feel for someone then use aishiteru but other than that, then daisuki is fine to use, or even suki (if you're in earlier stages of dating).

2) like I stated before, it would be a more serious confession if they were to say that.

3) unlike in American/European society 'I love you'(aishiteru) isn't thrown around as much in Japan society. You may see it be used in a lot of dramas or anime, but in Japanese society the phrase is rarely used. I've yet to hear an actual person use aishiteru but I've heard daisuki in plenty of conversations, but it's been used when talking about food or other favorite things not from one person to another. If a person was to say it to another, then it would most likely be done in private rather than in front of a group.

Even is seriously relationships its often dai suki that is used. Aishiteru and some other words appear frequently in music and drama/anime but not so common in real life.

If you are wanting to tell someone of your strong feelings, Daisuki will still get the message across. Goodluck.

Thank you for the answers :)

I have another question. I know japanese are honest people, but, if they tell a gaijin gf "aishiteru", are they really serious/honest about it?

i think your question is not about language anymore. it doesnt matter if he`s japanese or any other nationality. you cant tell if someones is lying or not just by the words they use. imho.

Whether or not someone means "aishiteru" sincerely can only be determined by the person who's saying it.

The Japanese are fairly attune to the fact that people in certain other countries (America especially) will say "I love you" to a bf/gf at the drop of a hat. There is a possibility that a Japanese person dating an American would feel more comfortable saying "aishiteru" early on/more frequently because of this.

However, there are also a ton of Japanese people who couldn't work up the nerve to say it to a foreigner even after they'd been married. Moreover, there are also Japanese people who believe that overusing a word like "aishiteru" takes away from its meaning and as such will only use it when they're really, really, REALLY feeling it.

Quite frankly, it's the same as dating someone in the US. If someone tells you they love you here, you can either assume that they mean it, or that they're more casual with the phrase. For some people, "I love you" is still a serious statement that brings about a new level in a relationship. For others, it's just that thing that comes after LIKE liking somebody.

In short, it all depends on the person in question.

Perhaps this "gaijin gf" has found someone who can use "aishiteru" more easily than most. Or maybe she's found someone who feels strongly enough about her to say it. The only person who knows at the start is the one who made the remark and the only people who'll know in the long run are the couple in question.

I agree with Rakozard. Most of the "I love you"s said by Americans (or the British or Australians or what not) mean "daisuki." The rest is all up to the speaker and not the nationality.

After I said this, My GF thought I had said dishwater and I laughed so hard at the