我爱 is the bare 'I love...' pattern, almost always followed by an object. Standalone
我爱你 (I love you) is strong in Chinese; for casual affection
我喜欢你 (I like you) or
我爱死你了 (lit. 'I love you to death', i.e. 'I adore you') feel more everyday. Famous opener of countless declarations and song lyrics, e.g. 《
我爱你，
中国》 (I Love You, China).
