دوست داره

In Persian there is no clean line between "like" and "love." Doust dâre covers both, and the romantic weight comes from context, intonation, and what follows it. A direct دوستت دارم (dousset dâram), "I love you," is reserved for serious moments: families, partners, close friendships. Iranians do not throw the phrase around the way English speakers do, which is why hearing it carries weight.