Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| मैं तुमसे प्यार करता हूँ | ma͠i tumse pyār kartā hū̃ | /mɛ̃ː t̪ʊm.seː pjɑːɾ kəɾ.t̪ɑː ɦũː/ (Hindi, Standard) | informal |
| मैं तुमसे प्यार करती हूँ | ma͠i tumse pyār kartī hū̃ | /mɛ̃ː t̪ʊm.seː pjɑːɾ kəɾ.t̪iː ɦũː/ (Hindi, Standard) | informal |
| मैं तुम्हैं बहुत चाहता हूँ | ma͠i tumha͠i bahut cāhtā hū̃ | masculine | |
| मैं तुम्हैं बहुत चाहती हूँ | ma͠i tumha͠i bahut cāhtī hū̃ | feminine |
This is the standard, direct way to tell someone you love them romantically. Hindi changes the verb for the gender of the speaker, not the listener. So a girl telling a boy she loves him says मैं तुमसे प्यार करती हूँ, and a boy saying it to anyone uses करता.
What does it mean word for word?
Word for word the sentence reads I from-you love do am. मैं is I, तुमसे is from you, प्यार is love, करता or करती is do and हूँ is am.
Which one should you use?
मैं तुम्हैं बहुत चाहता हूँ and its feminine version मैं तुम्हैं बहुत चाहती हूँ mean something like I want you very much or I care for you a lot, a softer and very common way to express love. Adding bahut to the main phrase, as in Mai tumko bahut pyaar karta/karti hu, means I love you very much. Mai aap se prem karta/karti hu. uses prem, a more poetic word for love.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
तुमसे uses the informal you, which suits a partner or someone you are close to. For a more formal or respectful tone, swap it for aapse, as in Mai aapse pyaar karta/karti hu.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb ending shows the speaker's gender. Men use करता and women use करती. The same rule applies to चाहता and चाहती.
How do you pronounce it?
Say it as ma͠i tumse pyār kartā hū̃, IPA /mɛ̃ː t̪ʊm.seː pjɑːɾ kəɾ.t̪ɑː ɦũː/. The first and last words are nasal, so let a little air pass through the nose. The t sounds are dental, with the tongue against the upper teeth.
What mistakes should you avoid?
A common slip is choosing the verb ending by the listener's gender. The ending always follows the person speaking.
When do people say it?
Couples often use pet names alongside the phrase. jaan means beloved and chanda, meaning moon, is another endearing nickname.
Did you know?
- The word मैं shares a distant common ancestor with the English word 'I', both tracing back to Proto-Indo-European roots.
- In romantic Hindi, the moon is a common symbol of beauty, which is why chanda is used as a pet name for a beloved partner.
Examples in context
- मैं तुमसे प्यार करती हूँ।I love you.This is the version a female speaker uses, with करती at the end.Tatoeba #475911 by minshirui, translation #1434 by awael58
- सच कहूँ तो, मैं तुमसे प्यार करता हूँ।sach kahoon to, main tumse pyaar karta hoon.To tell the truth, I love you.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple is talking while walking in a park.
- नेहा Nehaतुम बहुत सुंदर लग रही हो।Tum bahut sundar lag rahi ho.You are looking very beautiful.
- विकास Vikasशुक्रिया, विकास!Shukriya, Vikas!Thank you, Vikas!
- नेहा Nehaमैं तुमसे प्यार करता हूँ, नेहा।Main tumse pyaar karta hoon, Neha.I love you, Neha.
- विकास Vikasमैं भी तुमसे प्यार करती हूँ।Main bhi tumse pyaar karti hoon.I love you too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I love you” translations and entries मैं तुमसे प्यार करता हूँ, मैं तुमसे प्यार करती हूँ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries प्यार, बहुत, मैं, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
