ek hou van jou
/æk ɦœu fan jœu̯/word by word
The phrase "I like you" in Afrikaans is ek hou van jou.
The phrase ek hou van jou is used to express both platonic liking and romantic attraction.
Meaning: I like you (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, ek hou van jou translates to "I hold of you".
How does it change in a sentence?
You can change the person being liked by replacing the object jou with other pronouns. For example, use ek hou van hom to say "I like him" or ek hou van haar to say "I like her".
How do you pronounce it?
/æk ɦœu fan jœu̯/
Did you know?
- While ek hou van jou is common, using ek is lief vir jou expresses a much deeper, romantic love.
- In some South African contexts, shifting the emphasis to jou in ek hou van jou can change the phrase from a general statement to a flirtatious confession.
- While 'I like you' is a standard expression of affection, in many Afrikaans social contexts, expressing intense liking too early can be seen as much more heavy or serious than the English equivalent.
Examples in context
- Ek's mal oor jou.I am crazy about you.
- Ek hou baie van jou.I like you a lot.
- Ek hou van jou.I like you.
Example conversation
Andries and Nicola are sitting in a park.
- AndriesNicola, ek hou van jou.Nicola, I like you.
- NicolaDankie, Andries, ek hou ook van jou.Thank you, Andries, I like you too.
- AndriesDit maak my baie gelukkig.That makes me very happy.
- NicolaEk is ook baie bly.I am also very happy.
