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 |
ich liebe dich is used for deep, romantic love. ich habe dich lieb is used for friends, family members or in a less intense, more affectionate way than romantic love. ich habe dich lieb is a very common way to express affection to children or close friends without the heavy weight of ich liebe dich.
Which one should you use?
ich liebe dich and ich habe dich lieb are for a single person. For a group of people, use the plural forms ich liebe euch or ich habe euch lieb. While ich liebe dich is specifically for romantic love, ich habe dich lieb is more platonic and affectionate. The form ich liebe Sie is the formal version, used when addressing someone formally, though this is rare in a romantic context.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The phrase Ich liebe Sie. is the standard and formal way to say I love you in German. The phrase Ich liebe Dich. is the most common and informal way to say I love you in German. The phrase Ich hab Dich lieb. is a more endearing and affectionate way to say I love you to someone close.
How does it change in a sentence?
Use euch instead of dich when expressing love to more than one person.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈʔɪç ˈliːbə ˌdɪç/
Did you know?
- The phrase ich liebe dich is traditionally considered a heavy milestone in a relationship and is often said for the first time only after significant commitment.
- While ich liebe dich is the direct translation of 'I love you', Germans frequently use the word gern or gerne to express that they like someone, which literally means 'gladly'.
- The formal ich liebe Sie is so rare in romance that it is often only found in historical novels or period dramas to show social distance between lovers.
Examples in context
- Ich liebe dich sehr.I love you very much.This sentence shows how to use ich liebe dich with an intensifier.Tatoeba #816884 by al_ex_an_der, translation #400410 by sysko
- Ich liebe euch auch.I love you, too.This sentence shows how to use ich liebe euch to express reciprocating love to a group.Tatoeba #2700064 by al_ex_an_der, translation #628763 by meloncurtains
- Auch ich liebe euch.I love you too.This sentence provides an alternative word order for expressing love to a group with ich liebe euch.Tatoeba #2700065 by al_ex_an_der, translation #2688199 by Joseph
- Mama, ich liebe Dich.Mom, I love you.
- Mein lieber Bruder, ich hab Dich lieb.My dear brother, I love you.
- 128 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple is having a romantic dinner.
- JuliaIch liebe dich, Julian.I love you, Julian.
- JulianIch liebe dich auch, Julia.I love you too, Julia.
- JuliaDas ist so schön zu hören.That is so lovely to hear.
- JulianDu 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.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
