ik hou van jou
The English phrase "i love you" is translated into Dutch as ik hou van jou.
This phrase is used as an affirmation of romantic feeling.
Meaning: affirmation of romantic feeling (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase ik hou van jou literally translates to "I hold of you".
Which one should you use?
While ik hou van jou expresses deep romantic love, ik vind je lief is used for lighter, more platonic affection or to say you find someone sweet. Additionally, ik ben verliefd op je describes the state of being in love, whereas ik hou van jou is the expression of the feeling itself.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Flemish Dutch, the equivalent phrase for "I love you" is Ik zie u graag.
How does it change in a sentence?
In many natural spoken contexts, the unstressed pronoun je is used instead of the stressed pronoun jou. If you wish to express the past tense, "I loved you", the verb changes to Ik hield van jou.
Did you know?
- In the Netherlands, ik hou van jou is typically reserved for serious romantic partners or immediate family. Using it too early in a relationship is often seen as a significant and heavy emotional commitment.
- The Flemish version ik zie u graag literally means 'I see you gladly'. This reflects a regional preference for expressing love through the lens of enjoyment and companionship.
- The preposition van in this phrase is a cognate of the English word 'from', which is why the phrase feels like it is 'of' or 'from' someone.
Examples in context
- Ik hou van jou.I love you.This is a simple example of the phrase ik hou van jou.Tatoeba #7550778 by MarijnKp, translation #1434 by awael58
- Frankrijk, ik hou van jou!France, I love you!This sentence shows the phrase ik hou van jou being used to express affection for a country.Tatoeba #7496478 by MarijnKp, translation #5276566 by Ricardo14
- Ik hou van jou. Ik bel je later.I love you. I'll call you later.This example shows ik hou van jou used alongside a sentence about calling someone later.Tatoeba #6039016 by Mandalay, translation #6033859 by OsoHombre
- Ik hou van u en ik ben dankbaar dat we deze mooie jaren samen hebben doorgebrachtI love you, and I am grateful for the beautiful years we have spent together
- Ik wil u laten weten dat ik veel respect voor u heb en veel van u houI want to let you know that I have a lot of respect for you and love you deeply
- Ik hou van je, je bent altijd daar wanneer ik je nodig hebI love you, you're always there when I need you
- Ik heb je lief, je bent het mooiste in mijn levenI love you, you are the most beautiful thing in my life
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A quiet evening at home during a romantic dinner.
- SophieIk hou van jou, Noah.I love you, Noah.
- NoahIk hou ook heel veel van jou, Sophie.I love you very much too, Sophie.
- SophieDat is zo lief van je.That is so sweet of you.
- NoahIk ben zo gelukkig met ons.I am so happy with us.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ik hou van jou, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hou, ik, jou, van, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
