Mas mahal kita
/ˈmas maˈhal kiˈta/word by word
The Tagalog phrase for "I love you more" is Mas mahal kita.
Mas mahal kita is used to tell someone that your love for them is greater than their love for you.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of mas (more), mahal (love/expensive) and kita (a pronoun meaning 'I [verb] you').
Which one should you use?
While Mahal kita is the standard way to say "I love you", Mas mahal kita is used specifically to express a comparative degree of love.
How does it change in a sentence?
If you want to say "I love you more too" in response to an expression of love, you can add din (also/too) after mas mahal to say Mas mahal din kita.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈmas maˈhal kiˈta/
Did you know?
- Because mahal also means 'expensive', saying Mas mahal kita in a non-romantic context could technically be interpreted as 'You are more expensive'.
- The word mahal is not native to the Philippines but was borrowed from Malay.
- Even though kita is a single word in this phrase, it acts as a special pronoun that combines both 'I' and 'you' into one unit.
Examples in context
- Mas mahal kita kaysa mahal ka niya.I love you more than he loves you.This sentence is useful for illustrating a comparison using Mas mahal kita.Tatoeba #3484784 by mervert1, translation #1130012 by jdonnarumma
- Mas mahal kita.I love you more.
- Sabi ko nga, mas mahal kita.I said, I love you more.
Example conversation
A couple is sharing a sweet moment before bed.
- MarkMahal na mahal kita, Jasmine.I love you so much, Jasmine.
- JasmineMahal din kita, Mark.I love you too, Mark.
- MarkPero mas mahal kita.But I love you more.
- JasmineSus, ikaw talaga!Oh, you're something else!
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (mas, mahal, kita) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries kita, mahal, mas, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
