Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ich liebe dich | /ˈʔɪç ˈliːbə ˌdɪç/ | |
| ich habe dich lieb | ||
| ich liebe euch | plural | |
| ich habe euch lieb | plural | |
| ich liebe Sie | formal, plural, singular | |
| ich habe Sie lieb | ||
| ich hoan dich gear | ||
| isch hab dsch gerne |
The phrase is used to express an affirmation of romantic feeling. While ich liebe dich is reserved for deep, romantic love, the alternative ich habe dich lieb is used for friends, family members or in a more casual, affectionate way.
Which one should you use?
ich liebe dich is used for intense, serious romantic love. In contrast, ich habe dich lieb is used for friends or family members or to express affection in a more casual way. If you are addressing more than one person, you use the forms ich liebe euch or ich habe euch lieb. To address someone formally, you would use ich liebe Sie or ich habe Sie lieb, though this is extremely rare because the sentiment is so intimate.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
ich liebe dich is a serious declaration of romantic love. The phrase ich habe dich lieb is an informal way to express love to a single family member or close friend, often appearing as ich hab' dich lieb in spoken German. For a formal way to express affection to older family members or to show respect, you can use ich habe Sie lieb.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Bavaria, I mog di means "I like you" and I mog di gern means "I like you very much". In Swabia, I hab di gern and I lieb di are informal ways to say "I love you". In certain parts of Austria, I hab di liab translates to "I love you".
How does it change in a sentence?
When expressing love to more than one person, such as your parents or a group of friends, the object pronoun changes from dich to euch. If you are using the formal Sie to address someone, the phrase becomes ich liebe Sie.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈʔɪç ˈliːbə ˌdɪç/
Did you know?
- In Germany, saying ich liebe dich too early in a relationship can be seen as overwhelming or overly intense due to its heavy emotional weight.
- The word lieb is a distant relative of the archaic English word 'lief' used in phrases like 'I would as lief stay as go'.
- While 'love' is the standard translation, the word lieb is actually a derivative of the adjective 'dear', making the phrase feel more like 'I hold you dear'.
Examples in context
- Ich liebe dich sehr.I love you very much.Tatoeba #816884 by al_ex_an_der, translation #400410 by sysko
- Ich liebe euch auch.I love you, too.Tatoeba #2700064 by al_ex_an_der, translation #628763 by meloncurtains
- Auch ich liebe euch.I love you too.Tatoeba #2700065 by al_ex_an_der, translation #2688199 by Joseph
- 128 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A quiet evening at home.
- SarahIch liebe dich, Felix.I love you, Felix.
- FelixIch liebe dich auch, Sarah.I love you too, Sarah.
- SarahDas ist so schön zu hören.That is so lovely to hear.
- FelixDu 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.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dich, euch, ich, lieb, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
