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 or serious declarations of affection. For a lighter, warmer way to express affection without the heavy weight of a romantic commitment, use ich habe dich lieb. This version is used for platonic affection, such as with friends, family members or children.
Which one should you use?
While ich liebe dich is the standard phrase for saying "I love you" in German, ich habe dich lieb is used to express affection without the intensity of ich liebe dich. To address a group of people, use euch instead of dich when expressing love to more than one person, as in ich liebe euch or ich habe euch lieb.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
ich liebe dich is the standard phrase for saying "I love you" in German. The form ich liebe Sie is the most formal way to say "I love you", but it is extremely rare, as romantic love is almost always expressed using the informal du/dich. For a less intense expression of warmth, use ich habe dich lieb.
How does it change in a sentence?
Use euch instead of dich when expressing love to more than one person, as in ich liebe euch.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈʔɪç ˈliːbə ˌdɪç/
Did you know?
- If you tell a casual acquaintance ich liebe dich, you might actually cause a social scandal because the phrase is so intensely romantic.
- The word lieb in ich liebe dich shares an ancient root with the archaic English word 'lief', which meant 'beloved' or 'dear'.
- In many German-speaking households, parents may prefer ich habe dich lieb over ich liebe dich to avoid the heavy romantic connotations of the latter.
Examples in context
- Ich liebe dich sehr.I love you very much.This sentence shows how to emphasize your love using the form ich liebe dich.Tatoeba #816884 by al_ex_an_der, translation #400410 by sysko
- Ich liebe euch auch.I love you, too.This sentence shows how to respond to others by using the form ich liebe euch.Tatoeba #2700064 by al_ex_an_der, translation #628763 by meloncurtains
- Auch ich liebe euch.I love you too.This sentence shows an alternative way to say you love a group of people using the form ich liebe euch.Tatoeba #2700065 by al_ex_an_der, translation #2688199 by Joseph
- Fräulein Müller, ich liebe Sie von ganzem Herzen.Miss Müller, I love you with all my heart.
- Mama, ich liebe dich mehr als alles andere auf der Welt.Mom, I love you more than anything else in the world.
- Mein Schatz, ich hab dich lieb und möchte mein Leben mit dir verbringen.My darling, I love you and want to spend my life with you.
- 128 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A romantic evening at a quiet restaurant.
- MaximilianIch liebe dich.I love you.
- JuliaIch liebe dich auch, Maximilian.I love you too, Maximilian.
- MaximilianDas ist so schön zu hören.That is so beautiful to hear.
- JuliaDu 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.
