të dua
The English phrase 'I love you' in Albanian is expressed as të dua. Wiktionary also lists të dashuroj.
Meaning: affirmation of romantic feeling (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Albanian |
|---|
| të dua |
| të dashuroj |
The phrase të dua is the most common and universal way to say 'I love you' in Albanian. While the phrase Të adhuroj translates to 'I adore you', the standard way to express love is të dua.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase të dua literally translates to 'I want you' (from the verb dua, to want/wish), but it is used as the standard way to express 'I love you'.
Which one should you use?
të dua is the most common way to say 'I love you' and it can be used for both romantic partners and family members. Another form is të dashuroj.
Did you know?
- The word dua in të dua shares an ancient root with the English word 'choose', stemming from the Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'to taste'.
- While të dua is the standard, the more formal or intense të dashuroj is built from the word dashur, which means 'beloved'.
- The expression të dua uses a proclitic pronoun, meaning the 'të' is unstressed and leans on the following verb in natural speech.
Examples in context
- Të dua.I love you.Tatoeba #380264 by kellenparker, translation #1434 by awael58
- Të dua shumë, zemër.I love you so much, sweetheart.
- E di se të dua.I know that I love you.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple is sharing a quiet moment in a park.
- ErvinArjana, të dua shumë.Arjana, I love you so much.
- ArjanaEdhe unë të dua, Ervin.I love you too, Ervin.
- ErvinJe shumë e veçantë për mua.You are very special to me.
- ArjanaFaleminderit, dashuri.Thank you, darling.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I love you” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dashuroj, dua, të, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
