Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ich liebe dich | /ˈʔɪç ˈliːbə ˌdɪç/ | |
| ich habe dich lieb | /ɪç ˈhaːbə dɪç liːp/ (word by word) | |
| ich habe Sie lieb | /ɪç ˈhaːbə ziː liːp/ (word by word) | |
| ich hoan dich gear | ||
| isch hab dsch gerne | ||
| ich liebe euch | /ɪç ˈliːbə ɔɪ̯ç/ (word by word) | plural |
| ich habe euch lieb | /ɪç ˈhaːbə ɔɪ̯ç liːp/ (word by word) | plural |
| ich liebe Sie | /ɪç ˈliːbə ziː/ (word by word) | formal, plural, singular |
The way you express love in German depends entirely on the relationship. ich liebe dich is the most straightforward way to express love and is reserved for romantic relationships. For a softer, less intense expression of affection and fondness, you can use ich habe dich lieb. This version is a common way for parents to tell their children or for close friends to express affection. In more formal or respectful contexts, you may encounter ich liebe Sie or ich habe Sie lieb, though ich liebe Sie is rare in romantic settings.
Which one should you use?
The main difference lies in the intensity and the target. ich liebe dich is used for deep, romantic love. In contrast, ich habe dich lieb expresses affection and fondness rather than intense romantic passion and is used for friends and family members. When addressing more than one person, you should use the plural forms ich liebe euch or ich habe euch lieb instead of the singular forms.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
ich liebe dich and ich habe dich lieb are informal expressions. ich liebe Sie is the formal version used with strangers or in highly specific, respectful contexts, though it is rare in romantic settings.
How does it change in a sentence?
Use euch instead of dich when expressing love to more than one person. For example, use ich liebe euch to say "I love you (all)".
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈʔɪç ˈliːbə ˌdɪç/
Did you know?
- Because ich liebe dich is seen as such a powerful and serious commitment, some couples may wait much longer to say it than English speakers typically do.
- The phrase ich habe dich lieb can be shortened to hab' dich lieb or even HDL in text messages, which functions similarly to the English 'ILY'.
- The word lieb in the phrase ich habe dich lieb shares a common ancestor with the archaic English word 'lief', which meant 'dear' or 'beloved'.
Examples in context
- Ich liebe dich sehr.I love you very much.This sentence uses ich liebe dich to show how to add emphasis.Tatoeba #816884 by al_ex_an_der, translation #400410 by sysko
- Ich liebe euch auch.I love you, too.This sentence uses ich liebe euch to show how to express love to a group of people.Tatoeba #2700064 by al_ex_an_der, translation #628763 by meloncurtains
- Auch ich liebe euch.I love you too.This sentence also uses ich liebe euch to show an alternative word order for the same meaning.Tatoeba #2700065 by al_ex_an_der, translation #2688199 by Joseph
- Ich liebe dich über alles, mein Schatz. Du bist das Beste in meinem Leben.I love you more than anything, my sweetheart. You are the best thing in my life.
- Ich hab dich lieb, mein Freund. Du kannst immer auf mich zählen.I love you, my friend. You can always count on me.
- 128 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple is having a romantic dinner at home.
- JulianIch liebe dich, Laura.I love you, Laura.
- LauraIch liebe dich auch, Julian.I love you too, Julian.
- JulianDu bist meine große Liebe.You are my great love.
- LauraDas ist so schön zu hören.That is so lovely to hear.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I love you” translations and entries ich liebe dich, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (ich, Habe, dich, lieb, Sie, Liebe, euch) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dich, euch, ich, lieb, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
