ek het jou lief
In Afrikaans, 'i love you' can be expressed as ek het jou lief or ek is lief vir jou.
Meaning: affirmation of romantic feeling (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Afrikaans |
|---|
| ek het jou lief |
| ek is lief vir jou |
These phrases are used to provide an affirmation of romantic feeling.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase ek het jou lief literally translates to 'I have you dear' or 'I hold you dear', while ek is lief vir jou literally translates to 'I am love for you'.
Which one should you use?
ek is lief vir jou is the most common, everyday way to say 'I love you'. In contrast, ek het jou lief is more formal and poetic.
Did you know?
- While ek is lief vir jou is for romance, Afrikaans speakers often use the word liefie as a common term of endearment. It is similar to calling someone 'sweetie' or 'honey' in English.
- The word lief is a distant relative of the English word 'love' and the German word 'lieb'. Both trace back to the Proto-Indo-European root lewbʰ-, meaning 'to care for' or 'to love'.
- Because ek het jou lief is considered poetic, it is more likely to be found in traditional Afrikaans songwriting and literature than in a casual text message.
Examples in context
- Ek is lief vir jou.I love you.This sentence demonstrates the use of ek is lief vir jou.Tatoeba #450281 by wwkudu, translation #1434 by awael58
- Ek het jou lief, my skat.I love you, my darling.
Example conversation
Johan and Nicola are saying goodbye for the evening.
- JohanEk het jou lief, Nicola.I love you, Nicola.
- NicolaEk het jou ook lief, Johan.I love you too, Johan.
- JohanSlaap lekker, my liefie.Sleep well, my love.
- NicolaJy ook, tot môre.You too, until tomorrow.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “i love you” translations and entries ek het jou lief, ek is lief vir jou, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ek, het, jou, lief, vir, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
