Translation guide
To begin to feel romantic love for someone. In Japanese, this is most commonly expressed with the phrase 恋に落ちる (koi ni ochiru), but there are also other natural expressions depending on the nuance and context.
Express the act of falling in love in a general sense.
The most direct and common translation. It literally means 'to fall into love' and is used for romantic love.
He fell in love with her.
I fell in love at first sight.
Literally 'to come to like'. This is a softer, more casual way to say you've developed feelings for someone. It can range from a crush to deeper affection.
I fell for him. / I started to like him.
Before I knew it, I had fallen in love.
A more colloquial and sometimes stronger term meaning 'to fall for' or 'to be charmed by'. Often used in casual speech.
I've completely fallen for her.
Literally 'to do love'. It means to be in love or to experience love, but can also imply the process of falling in love. Slightly more literary.
He fell in love for the first time.
Specifically express falling in love instantly upon first meeting.
Express falling in love over time, without a clear moment.
Means 'to come to like before one knows it'. Emphasizes the gradual, unconscious process.
I had fallen in love with him before I knew it.
Similar to above, meaning 'when I realized, I had fallen for them'.
Express falling intensely or passionately in love.
Adds 深く (deeply) to the standard phrase.
She fell deeply in love.
Means 'to fall violently/passionately in love'. Stronger nuance.
The two fell passionately in love.
Literally 'to be flushed/head over heels'. Implies being infatuated or madly in love, often with a slightly negative connotation of losing one's head.
恋に落ちる is more dramatic and explicitly romantic, often implying a sudden event. 好きになる is softer, more gradual, and can be used for any kind of liking, not just romantic love. In casual conversation, 好きになる is very common and natural.
I fell in love with him (dramatic, romantic).
I started to like him (softer, could be romantic or platonic).
Do not translate 'fall' literally as 落ちる without 恋に. 落ちる alone means to physically fall or drop, and will not be understood as falling in love.
I think I'm falling in love with you.
Uses 恋をしている (to be in love) to express the ongoing process.
They fell in love and got married.
When I realized it, I had fallen in love with her.
He's head over heels in love with her.