Ich schätze dich
The English phrase "I appreciate you" is translated into German as Ich schätze dich.
This phrase is used to tell someone that you value them as a person or respect their qualities.
Which one should you use?
While Ich schätze dich focuses on valuing a person's character or presence, it is distinct from Ich danke dir, which specifically means "I thank you" for a specific action.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form changes based on who you are addressing: use Ich schätze Sie for a single person in a formal context, and use Ich schätze euch if you are addressing a group of people rather than a single person.
Did you know?
- The word schätzen shares a root with the German word Schatz, which means 'treasure' and is a common term of endearment like 'honey' or 'sweetheart'.
- The verb schätzen is also the standard German word for 'to estimate' or 'to guess' a number. In a different context, Ich schätze means 'I guess' or 'I reckon'.
- To say you appreciate a specific favor, Germans avoid schätzen and instead use Ich weiß das zu schätzen, which literally means 'I know how to value that'.
Examples in context
- Ich schätze Sie.I appreciate you.
- Ich danke Ihnen sehr.I thank you very much.
- Ich bin Ihnen sehr dankbar.I am very grateful to you.
- Danke dir vielmals.Thank you very much.
- TackThank you.
- Vielen Dank für deine Unterstützung.Many thanks for your support.
- Das schätze ich wirklich.I really appreciate it.
- Deine Hilfe ist mir wirklich wichtig.I truly value your help.
- Ich schätze dich als Mensch.I appreciate you as a person.
- Du bist toll, ich schätze dich.You are great, I appreciate you.
- Ich schätze dich sehr für deine Ehrlichkeit.I appreciate you very much for your honesty.
Example conversation
Lukas and Sarah are talking about their friendship in a park.
- LukasDanke, dass du immer für mich da bist.Thank you for always being there for me.
- SarahGerne, Lukas. Ich schätze dich auch sehr.You're welcome, Lukas. I appreciate you very much too.
- LukasDas bedeutet mir viel.That means a lot to me.
- SarahDu bist ein toller Freund.You are a great friend.
