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 |
In German, ich liebe dich is a very heavy, serious statement and is typically reserved for committed romantic partners or deep, romantic love and intense passion. For a more casual or platonic way to express affection to friends or family, you can use ich habe dich lieb. If you want to show appreciation for someone's character without romantic intentions, you might say "Du bist ein toller Mensch" (You are a great person). To express deep care in a platonic way, you can use "Du bist mir sehr wichtig" (You are very important to me) or to express platonic affection and friendship informally, you can say "Ich mag dich wirklich gerne" (I really like you).
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase ich habe dich lieb literally translates to "I have you dear" or "I hold you dear."
Which one should you use?
Use the plural forms ich liebe euch or ich habe euch lieb when expressing love to a group of people. While rare in romantic contexts, ich liebe Sie can be used when addressing someone with formal politeness.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
ich liebe dich is the standard for intense romantic love. ich habe dich lieb is an informal, affectionate way to express love to friends or family members in a non-romantic sense. ich liebe Sie is the formal version used when addressing someone with politeness.
How does it change in a sentence?
When addressing more than one person, replace dich with euch to create ich liebe euch or ich habe euch lieb.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈʔɪç ˈliːbə ˌdɪç/
Did you know?
- In German culture, ich liebe dich is so emotionally weighty that couples may wait months or even years before saying it for the first time.
- In some formal contexts, using ich liebe Sie can be seen as a daring or poetic gesture because it mixes deep intimacy with a distant, polite social barrier.
- The word lieb is a distant relative of the archaic English word 'lief', which meant 'dear' or 'beloved' in Old English.
Examples in context
- Ich liebe dich sehr.I love you very much.This sentence is useful for adding emphasis to your romantic declaration 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 expressing reciprocal love to a group 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 placing emphasis on yourself when loving a group using ich liebe euch.Tatoeba #2700065 by al_ex_an_der, translation #2688199 by Joseph
- Du bist mir sehr wichtig. Ich habe dich lieb.You are very important to me. I love you.
- 128 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lukas and Hannah are having a romantic dinner together.
- HannahLukas, ich liebe dich.Lukas, I love you.
- LukasIch liebe dich auch, Hannah.I love you too, Hannah.
- HannahDas ist so schön zu hören.That is so wonderful to hear.
- LukasDu 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.
- 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.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dich, euch, ich, lieb, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
