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 |
These phrases are used for affirmation of romantic feeling. The choice of phrase depends on whether the emotion is romantic or platonic, and whether you are addressing one person or many.
Which one should you use?
There is a distinction between romantic and affectionate love. ich liebe dich is used for deep, romantic love between partners. In contrast, ich habe dich lieb (or its plural forms) is used for platonic affection, such as between family members or close friends.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
ich liebe dich is an informal way to say "I love you." While ich liebe Sie is a formal expression, it is extremely rare and socially awkward because the verb lieben is intimate while Sie is formal. Other forms like ich habe dich lieb and ich habe euch lieb are used for non-romantic affection.
Is it said differently in some regions?
ich hoan dich gear and isch hab dsch gerne are variations of the phrase.
How does it change in a sentence?
When addressing a group of people, you must change the object from dich to euch, resulting in forms such as ich liebe euch or ich habe euch lieb.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈʔɪç ˈliːbə ˌdɪç/
Did you know?
- The phrase ich liebe dich is often considered so heavy and serious that some couples avoid saying it until they are certain they want to marry.
- The phrase ich liebe dich is frequently replaced in casual dating by the phrase ich bin in dich verliebt, which describes the state of being 'in love'.
- In many German households, parents may avoid saying ich liebe dich to their children, preferring ich hab' dich lieb to maintain a distinction between romantic and familial love.
Examples in context
- Ich liebe dich sehr.I love you very much.This sentence is useful for expressing the intensity of your feeling 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 is useful for responding to others using ich liebe euch.Tatoeba #2700064 by al_ex_an_der, translation #628763 by meloncurtains
- Auch ich liebe euch.I love you too.This sentence is useful for an alternative word order using ich liebe euch.Tatoeba #2700065 by al_ex_an_der, translation #2688199 by Joseph
- Ich liebe dich so sehr.I love you so much.
- Du bist meine große Liebe.You are my great love.
- Sie bedeuten mir sehr viel.You mean a lot to me.
- Meine Gefühle für Sie sind tief.My feelings for you are deep.
- Es ist eine Ehre, Sie zu lieben.It is an honor to love you.
- 128 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple is having a romantic dinner at home.
- FelixIch liebe dich, Sarah.I love you, Sarah.
- SarahIch liebe dich auch, Felix.I love you too, Felix.
- FelixDu bist mein Ein und Alles.You are my everything.
- SarahDas ist so lieb von dir.That is so sweet of you.
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.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
