ラブラブ

• Reading: ラブラブ
• Romaji: rabu rabu
• Kanji breakdown: From English 'love' + 'love' (ラブ + ラブ) — reduplication emphasizes intensity of affection
• Pronunciation: /ɾa.bu ɾa.bu/

Meaning

Madly in love — describing a couple who is extremely affectionate and obviously head-over-heels for each other.

ラブラブ is a reduplication of the English word 'love' (ラブ) and describes couples who are clearly deeply in love and showing it. It can describe both the intensity of their feelings and how openly affectionate they are. Used both genuinely (about your own relationship) and as a teasing observation about other couples. It's lighter and cuter than the standard 愛し合っている.

Examples

1. 付き合いたてのカップルって、ラブラブで見てて微笑ましい。 New couples are so head-over-heels for each other — it's sweet to watch.
2. うちの両親、何十年経ってもラブラブなんだよね。 My parents are still madly in love even after all these years.
3. ラブラブすぎてSNSに二人の写真上げまくってる。 They're so in love that they keep posting couple photos all over social media.

Usage Guide

Context: friends, social media, entertainment

Tone: playful, warm

Do Say

• あの二人、超ラブラブだよね。 (Those two are so in love.)
• ラブラブなのはいいけど、見せつけないでほしい。 (Being in love is great, but I wish they wouldn't flaunt it.)

Don't Say

• フォーマルな場で「ラブラブです」は場にそぐわない (Saying 'we're rabu rabu' in formal settings is out of place — it sounds too cutesy)

Common Mistakes

• Thinking ラブラブ is standard English — it's wasei-eigo (Japanese-coined English) and not commonly used in English

Origin & History

From English 'love' repeated (ラブラブ, love-love). A wasei-eigo (Japanese-coined English) expression that became widely used in casual Japanese, especially from the 1980s-90s.

Cultural Context

Era: 1980s-90s popularization

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal casual

Regional notes: Used across all of Japan. One of the most recognized wasei-eigo expressions.