The best way to tell a Chinese girl you like her..

[silphonica]

She doesn't actually live in Shanghai, she lives in a place close-by the shanghai. However, she doesn't seem to be that type, and me ex-girlfriend who was actually from Shanghai was quite the opposite.

[Meng Lelan]

Right. You don't have to verbalize it. Just show her how much you like her.

[skylee]

I just want the literal translation of saying "I like you, and want to spend more time getting to know you", rather than sounding like "I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you".

Consider "我覺得你很好，我跟你一塊兒很開心。" which literally doesn't say anything intimate, doesn't commit you to anything and is not demanding. But if the girl cares for you such a remark could be quite frustrating.

[rezaf]

My Shanghainese pronunciation is terrible but scince there is no Shanghainese here this recording might be useful:

I like you is something like: wu lao huxi nong

and you are beautiful is something like: nong lao haoku

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[silphonica]

Sky - I appreciate your help but I can't read the characters.

Also, thanks for your help everyone, I do appreciate it.

Can anyone tell me how to properly quote?

Also, sorry if my posts come up later than usual, I need to always wait on approval.

[Meng Lelan]

I like you is something like: wu lao huxi nong

and you are beautiful is something like: nong lao haoku

What does the "lao" mean here in Shanghai-hua? Also - isn't there some standardized phonetic system for Shanghai-hua? anonymoose was using something like that in a different thread. It might help the OP verbalize what he wants to say or at least have some written reference.

[rezaf]

means very much

[rezaf]

She doesn't actually live in Shanghai, she lives in a place close-by the shanghai.

In that case just say: wo hen xihuan ni.

My accent is not very good but I think it's enough

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[Meng Lelan]

Is she from Suzhou then?

[silphonica]

I'm not sure of the town name yet.

However, Thanks for the replies everyone. I went with "wo xihuan ni" after a date and now we're together. Thanks again for your replies everyone.

[crazy-meiguoren]

I went with "wo xihuan ni" after a date and now we're together.

Congratulations. I wish you and your girlfriend all the best. You've been off to a good start all along. Treating her with respect and kindness works well in every culture.

[AlexBlackman]

我对你有好感

Wo dui ni you hao gan

It's a less intense way of saying "I like you"than 'wo xihuan ni',

[Don_Horhe]

You can also say 我对你有意思, which is basically 'I like you' or 'I'm attracted to you', although, to be honest, I've never heard anybody say anything other than 我喜欢你. Since you already got the girl, it makes no difference. Congratulations and have fun!

[Lu]

That's great, congratulations!

[anonymoose]

Well done. Remember to use protection.

[gerri]

I should hope they are not at that point yet...

[Brian US]

Does pulling on a girl's hair and running away giggling not work outside of elementary school anymore?

[Lu]

Oh and one more point: keep talking with her, also about your feelings and hers. Make sure that she understands what you mean by what you say to her, and vice versa, don't assume that she has the same feelings and acts on them the same way as women in your home country (and vice versa).

[Meng Lelan]

Does pulling on a girl's hair and running away giggling not work outside of elementary school anymore?

In elementary and middle school, it's called bullying. After that it's called harassment.

[simonlaing]

I think what you want to ask is if you can start being more than normal friends.

Usually in the Cultural context, this is done by asking first if she has a boyfriend at the moment?

Xianzai ni you mei you nanpengyou?

Then you ask her out,( perhaps to see a movie/ or dinner as even in China they are seen as safe date type of things).

Xingqiwu wanshang, ru guo in you kong, Ni xiang gen wo qu (kan dianying)/( Chi wanfan) ma?

This should tell you one way or another and is the polite way to do it.

Good luck.