Ich liebe sie
/ɪç ˈliːbə ziː/word by word
The English phrase "I love her" is translated into German as Ich liebe sie.
Ich liebe sie is used to express deep romantic affection for a female person. If you wish to express affection in a non-romantic context, such as between friends or family members, it is more common to use Ich habe sie lieb.
Which one should you use?
Ich liebe sie is specifically used for deep romantic love. In contrast, the phrase Ich hab' sie lieb is the preferred way to express platonic or familial affection.
How does it change in a sentence?
In this phrase, sie is the accusative form of "she", serving as the direct object of the verb lieben.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɪç ˈliːbə ziː/
When do people say it?
When expressing affection to a romantic partner, one might use the term Schatz, which means darling.
Did you know?
- In German culture, saying Ich liebe dich or Ich liebe sie is considered a very heavy and serious commitment. It is often reserved for long-term partners and is said much less frequently than 'I love you' is in English.
- The pronoun sie is a linguistic chameleon that can mean 'she', 'they', or even 'you' (formal) depending solely on the verb conjugation and context.
- A common romantic term of endearment used alongside Ich liebe sie is Schatz, which literally means 'treasure'.
Examples in context
- Ich liebe sie trotzdem.I love her anyway.This sentence demonstrates how to express that you love her despite certain circumstances using Ich liebe sie.Tatoeba #3248682 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #3248415 by Hybrid
- Sag denen, ich liebe sie!Tell them I love her.This sentence shows how to use Ich liebe sie when giving a command to tell others.Tatoeba #10221007 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #10220089 by ddnktr
- Ich weiß, aber ich liebe sie!I know, but I love her!This sentence shows how to use Ich liebe sie to emphasize your feelings in response to something else.Tatoeba #11084576 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #5587241 by Hybrid
- Mein Herz gehört nur ihr.My heart belongs to her alone.
- 25 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Felix and Sarah are talking about Felix's girlfriend.
- FelixSie ist die Beste.She is the best.
- SarahLiebst du sie wirklich?Do you really love her?
- FelixJa, ich liebe sie.Yes, I love her.
- SarahDas ist sehr schön.That is very beautiful.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (Ich, Liebe, sie) and can differ in connected speech.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
