es tevi mīlu
The English phrase "i love you" is expressed in Latvian as es tevi mīlu or es mīlu tevi.
Meaning: affirmation of romantic feeling (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Latvian |
|---|
| es tevi mīlu |
| es mīlu tevi |
This phrase is used to express a romantic feeling. In casual speech, the personal pronoun es (I) is often omitted because the verb ending itself indicates that the subject is "I". This results in the very common, shorter form mīlu tevi.
Which one should you use?
Both es mīlu tevi and es tevi mīlu are grammatically correct. While es mīlu tevi uses the standard word order, es tevi mīlu places a slightly stronger emphasis on the object tevi (you).
How does it change in a sentence?
In this phrase, mīlu is the first person singular present tense conjugation of the verb mīlēt (to love). The word for "you" changes from the nominative tu to the accusative tevi because it serves as the direct object of the verb.
Did you know?
- The word es for 'I' is a distant relative of the English word 'I' and the Latin word ego. Both come from the same ancient Proto-Indo-European root.
- Latvians often express affection using the word mīļs, which means 'dear' or 'sweet'. This adjective is used frequently in daily life as a softer alternative to the heavy verb mīlēt.
- The phrase es tevi mīlu shares a root with the word mīļums, which translates to 'sweetness' or 'cuteness'. This links the feeling of love directly to a sense of sweetness.
Examples in context
- Es mīlu tevi tādu, kāds tu esi.I love you just as you are.This sentence shows how to say "I love you" while expressing acceptance of someone's character using es mīlu tevi.Tatoeba #12532331 by GemMonkey, translation #386518 by Dorenda
- Es mīlu tevi – es arī mīlu tevi."I love you." "I love you, too."This sentence shows a simple exchange of saying "I love you" and "I love you, too" using es mīlu tevi.Tatoeba #2931008 by SilverBirdLV, translation #1655606 by gleki
- Es mīlu tevi un gribu tevi precēt.I love you and I want to marry you.This sentence uses es mīlu tevi to express both love and a desire for marriage.Tatoeba #2931027 by SilverBirdLV, translation #2033637 by CK
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Kristīne and Artūrs are having a romantic dinner.
- KristīneEs tevi mīlu, Artūr.I love you, Artūrs.
- ArtūrsEs arī tevi mīlu, Kristīne.I love you too, Kristīne.
- KristīneTu esi tik brīnišķīgs.You are so wonderful.
- ArtūrsUn tu esi manas dzīves dāvana.And you are the gift of my life.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “i love you” translations and entries es tevi mīlu, es mīlu tevi, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries es, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
