愛, 恋, and 好き: more than one kind of love
These expressions can overlap in translation, but they differ in scope and grammar. Consider both the person or thing involved and the situation.
愛: a broad sense of love
愛 is a noun for love or deep affection, including love for family or one’s hometown. The verb form is 愛する.
家族への愛 means “love for one’s family”; 家族を愛する means “to love one’s family.” Distinguish への before the noun from を marking the object of the verb.
恋: romantic feelings
恋 focuses on romantic attraction. 恋をする can mean to fall in love or have romantic feelings.
Do not treat 愛 as always mature and 恋 as always immature. Context and the aspect of the feeling being emphasized matter.
好き: liking and preference
好き commonly expresses liking for people, food, or activities. コーヒーが好きです。 means “I like coffee.” Replacing 好き with 愛する changes the weight of an ordinary preference.
Saying 好き to a person can express romantic feelings. It is not always a mild or casual preference.
Quick check: Which expression suits an everyday statement that you like music?
Show the answer and why
音楽が好きです。 is natural. 音楽を愛しています。 is also possible, but expresses deeper affection or a stronger stance.