Я теж тебе кохаю
Ya tezh tebe kokhayu
I love you too in Ukrainian is expressed as Я теж тебе кохаю (Ya tezh tebe kokhayu).
This phrase is used as a response to express romantic love back to someone who has just told you they love you.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "I also you love", where теж means "also" or "too" and кохаю is the specific verb for romantic love.
Which one should you use?
While Я теж тебе кохаю is used specifically for romantic, passionate love, the form Я теж тебе люблю is used for general affection toward friends or family.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase Я теж тебе кохаю, the word тебе is the accusative form of ти, used because "you" is the direct object of the verb.
How do you pronounce it?
Ya tezh tebe kokhayu
Did you know?
- Because кохаю is so heavily weighted toward romantic passion, using it with a pet or a piece of food would sound quite humorous or strangely intense to a native speaker.
- In romantic contexts, Ukrainians may omit the pronoun Я and simply say Теж тебе кохаю because the subject is already implied by the verb ending.
- The pronoun я meaning 'I' descends from the Proto-Indo-European root *éǵh₂, making it a distant relative of the English word 'I'.
Examples in context
- Я теж тебе кохаю, сонечко.Ya tezh tebe kokhayu, sonechko.I love you too, sunshine.
- Я теж тебе кохаю, мій дорогий.Ya tezh tebe kokhayu, miy dorohyi.I love you too, my dear.
- Ти знаєш, що я теж тебе кохаю.Ty znayesh, shcho ya tezh tebe kokhayu.You know that I love you too.
Example conversation
A couple is saying goodbye before a long trip.
- Ірина IrynaЯ дуже тебе кохаю, Олександре.Ya duzhe tebe kokhayu, Oleksandre.I love you very much, Oleksander.
- Олександр OleksandrЯ теж тебе кохаю, Ірино.Ya tezh tebe kokhayu, Iryno.I love you too, Iryna.
- Ірина IrynaБережи себе в дорозі.Berezhi sebe v dorozhi.Take care of yourself on the road.
- Олександр OleksandrОбов'язково, моя люба.Obovyazkovo, moya liuba.I certainly will, my dear.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries теж, я, CC BY-SA 4.0.
