я люблю тебя больше
ya lyublyu tebya bolshe
The phrase i love you more is translated into Russian as я люблю тебя больше (ya lyublyu tebya bolshe).
This phrase is used to express that your love for someone is greater than their love for you. In Russian, the word больше (more) can stand alone at the end of the sentence to mean 'more' when responding to an expression of love, whereas English often requires a following 'than…' to complete the comparison.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of я (I), люблю (love), тебя (you) and больше (more).
Which one should you use?
While the default form is я люблю тебя больше, you may also see the word order changed in the phrase Я больше всех тебя люблю, which is a playful way to say 'I love you more than anyone else'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb люблю is the first-person singular present tense of the verb любить (to love).
How do you pronounce it?
ya lyublyu tebya bolshe
Did you know?
- The English 'ego' and the Russian я share the same ancient roots, making them distant linguistic cousins from the Proto-Indo-European word for 'I'.
- While 'I love you' is a standard phrase, Russians often use the diminutive form of a person's name alongside люблю to make the expression sound much more tender and intimate.
- If you want to emphasize your love even further, you can replace больше with сильнее, which literally means 'more strongly'.
Examples in context
- Я люблю тебя больше всех.I love you more than anyone else.This sentence is useful for expressing that your love exceeds that of everyone else using я люблю тебя больше.Tatoeba #2005500 by marafon, translation #40332 by CK
- Я люблю тебя больше жизни.I love you more than life itself.This sentence shows how to say you love someone more than life itself using я люблю тебя больше.Tatoeba #6590415 by odexed, translation #5320303 by Hybrid
- Я люблю тебя больше, чем её.I love you more than her.This sentence demonstrates how to compare your love for someone to the love for another person using я люблю тебя больше.Tatoeba #446838 by Hellerick, translation #261326 by CK
- 18 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A cozy evening at home between a couple.
- Андрей AndreyМария, я тебя очень люблю.Mariya, ya tebya ochen' lyublyu.Maria, I love you very much.
- Мария MariaИ я тебя люблю, Андрей.I ya tebya lyublyu, Andrey.And I love you, Andrey.
- Андрей AndreyЯ люблю тебя больше!Ya lyublyu tebya bol'she!I love you more!
- Мария MariaЭто невозможно, но ты милый.Eto nevozmozhno, no ty milyy.That is impossible, but you are sweet.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries тебя, я, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
