Ways to say it
| Estonian |
|---|
| ma armastan sind |
| mina armastan sind |
This phrase is used as an affirmation of romantic feeling.
Which one should you use?
The phrase mina armastan sind uses the full form of the pronoun to add emphasis to the subject "I", often used to contrast "I" with someone else. In contrast, the shorter form ma armastan sind is the standard way to express the sentiment.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The shortened form ma armastan sind is the most natural way to say "I love you" in everyday conversation. For a formal way to express deep affection, one might use Mul on sinust sügav kiindumus.
How does it change in a sentence?
The pronoun mina can be shortened to ma in spoken and informal Estonian. The verb armastan is the first-person singular present tense of armastama (to love). The word sind is the partitive case of the pronoun sina (you), which is required because the verb armastama governs the partitive case for the object.
Did you know?
- In many Estonian-speaking households, expressing 'I love you' through actions is often preferred over the literal phrase ma armastan sind, which can feel quite heavy.
- The pronoun mina descends from the Proto-Uralic root *minä, making it a distant relative to words for 'I' in languages as far away as Hungarian.
- The word armas is so central to affection that it is frequently used as a standalone term of endearment, similar to 'honey' or 'darling' in English.
Examples in context
- Mina armastan sind ka.I love you, too.This sentence is useful for adding the word 'too' to the phrase using mina armastan sind.Tatoeba #11290465 by twentyplus, translation #628763 by meloncurtains
- Ma armastan sind väga, Tom.I love you so much, Tom.This sentence is useful for adding the intensifier 'very much' to the phrase using ma armastan sind.Tatoeba #11280041 by twentyplus, translation #13480723 by epiphany
- Ma armastan sind rohkem kui sina mind.I love you more than you love me.This sentence is useful for comparing levels of love using ma armastan sind.Tatoeba #2710758 by Maasikas, translation #17829 by lazycat
Example conversation
A couple is saying goodbye before work.
- LiisHead päeva, Kristjan! Ma armastan sind.Have a good day, Kristjan! I love you.
- KristjanTänks, Liis! Ma armastan sind ka.Thanks, Liis! I love you too.
- LiisKüll ja siis kohtume õhtul.Indeed, and then we'll meet in the evening.
- KristjanJah, siis näeme!Yes, see you then!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “i love you” translations and entries ma armastan sind, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ma, mina, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
