volim te
Latin
The English phrase "I love you" is translated into Croatian as volim te. Wiktionary also lists ja te volim.
Meaning: affirmation of romantic feeling (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Croatian | Note |
|---|---|
| volim te | Latin |
| ja te volim | Latin |
This phrase is used as an affirmation of romantic feeling.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase volim te is composed of the first-person singular verb volim (I love) and the second-person singular pronoun te (you).
Which one should you use?
While volim te is the standard and most natural way to express this feeling, the form ja te volim is more emphatic. This is because including the pronoun ja (I) adds emphasis to the subject, which is often used to contrast the speaker with someone else.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say "I love you" to more than one person, you must change the pronoun to vas to get volim vas. Including the pronoun ja in ja te volim specifically adds emphasis to the subject.
Did you know?
- In many Croatian families, it is traditionally less common to say volim te aloud to parents or siblings than it is in English-speaking cultures, as love is often shown through acts of service instead.
- The word volim comes from the same root as the noun volja, which means 'will'. This suggests that loving someone in Croatian is linguistically linked to the act of willing or desiring.
- Croatian has a distinct word for the feeling of longing or nostalgic love called čežnja, which describes a specific type of 'loving' that is mixed with sadness and distance.
Examples in context
- Volim te.I love you.This is a simple statement of the phrase using volim te.Tatoeba #567186 by Shishir, translation #1434 by awael58
- Volim te!I love you!Tatoeba #2390581 by Ricardo14, translation #2365642 by CE
- Volim te puno, draga.I love you a lot, dear.
- Ja Vas volim jako, gospodine.I love you very much, sir.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple is having a quiet evening at home.
- MiaMateo, volim te.Mateo, I love you.
- MateoI ja tebe, Mia.And I love you, Mia.
- MiaSretna sam što si uz mene.I am happy that you are with me.
- MateoI ja sam sretan uz tebe.And I am happy with you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I love you” translations and entries ja te volim, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
