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 |
ich liebe dich is the standard way to express deep, romantic love to a partner. In contrast, ich habe dich lieb is a casual and affectionate way to say "I love you," typically used for friends and family members to express platonic affection. ich habe euch lieb and ich liebe euch are the plural versions of these expressions.
Which one should you use?
Use ich liebe dich for intense romantic love. Use ich habe dich lieb to express affection toward friends or family. If you are addressing more than one person, replace dich with euch in phrases like ich liebe euch or ich habe euch lieb. While ich liebe Sie exists using the formal Sie, it is extremely rare because romantic declarations are usually intimate and use the informal du.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The phrase ich habe dich lieb is considered informal and is used for non-romantic affection with friends and family. The formal version ich liebe Sie is very rare in practice.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Swiss German, you say Ich han di gern instead of Ich liebe dich.
How does it change in a sentence?
In these phrases, dich is the accusative form of du, which is required because the verb is transitive and takes a direct object. When speaking to more than one person, you must use the plural euch instead of dich.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈʔɪç ˈliːbə ˌdɪç/
When do people say it?
When expressing affection, people often use endearing nicknames such as Schatz (sweetheart) or Liebling (darling).
Did you know?
- In Germany, ich liebe dich is traditionally reserved for the most serious stage of a relationship and is said much less frequently than 'I love you' is in English.
- The term Schatz is the most common term of endearment used alongside these phrases and literally translates to 'treasure'.
- The word lieb in the affectionate phrase ich habe dich lieb is a direct relative of the archaic English word 'lief', as seen in the phrase 'my heart's liefest desire'.
Examples in context
- Ich liebe dich sehr.I love you very much.This sentence shows how to add the word "very" to the phrase using ich liebe dich.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 express that the love is mutual.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 express mutual love.Tatoeba #2700065 by al_ex_an_der, translation #2688199 by Joseph
- Ich liebe Sie für alles, was Sie für mich getan haben.I love you for everything you have done for me.
- Ich liebe dich mehr als alles andere auf der Welt.I love you more than anything else in the world.
- 128 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A romantic dinner at a restaurant.
- SarahIch liebe dich, Maximilian.I love you, Maximilian.
- MaximilianIch liebe dich auch, Sarah.I love you too, Sarah.
- SarahDas ist so schön zu hören.That is so lovely to hear.
- MaximilianDu bist mein Ein und Alles.You are my everything.
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.
