Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ich liebe dich | /ˈʔɪç ˈliːbə ˌdɪç/ | |
| ich habe dich lieb | ||
| ich habe Sie lieb | ||
| ich hoan dich gear | ||
| isch hab dsch gerne | ||
| ich liebe euch | plural | |
| ich habe euch lieb | plural | |
| ich liebe Sie | formal, plural, singular |
These phrases are used to affirm romantic feelings. Use ich liebe dich for deep romantic love. For more casual, affectionate or platonic love, such as that shared between family members or close friends, use ich habe dich lieb.
Which one should you use?
The phrase ich liebe dich is reserved for deep romantic love, whereas ich habe dich lieb is used for a more casual, affectionate or platonic love. While the formal version ich liebe Sie is grammatically possible, it is extremely rare in practice because romantic declarations are almost always intimate and informal.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
ich liebe Sie is formal.
How does it change in a sentence?
When addressing more than one person, such as a group of friends or a couple, the pronoun dich must be changed to euch in both ich liebe dich and ich habe dich lieb, resulting in ich liebe euch or ich habe euch lieb.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈʔɪç ˈliːbə ˌdɪç/
Did you know?
- If a German speaker says ich habe dich lieb to a romantic partner, it can sometimes be interpreted as a 'demotion' of the relationship from passionate love to a more comfortable, sibling-like affection.
- The adjective lieb in the phrase ich habe dich lieb is a direct relative of the archaic English word 'lief', which meant 'beloved' or 'dear'.
- Using ich liebe Sie is so rare that saying it to a stranger or a superior would likely be interpreted as a shocking or inappropriately bold confession rather than a polite sentiment.
Examples in context
- Ich liebe dich sehr.I love you very much.This sentence is useful for expressing how much you love someone 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 someone by saying you love them too 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 expressing that you love a group of people too using ich liebe euch.Tatoeba #2700065 by al_ex_an_der, translation #2688199 by Joseph
- 128 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A romantic evening at a candlelit dinner.
- HannahIch liebe dich.I love you.
- MaximilianIch liebe dich auch, Hannah.I love you too, Hannah.
- HannahDas ist so schön zu hören.That is so lovely to hear.
- MaximilianDu bist meine große Liebe.You are my great love.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I love you” translations and entries ich liebe dich, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dich, euch, ich, lieb, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
