Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ich liebe dich | /ˈʔɪç ˈliːbə ˌdɪç/ | |
| ich habe dich lieb | ||
| ich liebe euch | plural | |
| ich habe euch lieb | plural | |
| ich liebe Sie | formal, plural, singular | |
| ich habe Sie lieb | ||
| ich hoan dich gear | ||
| isch hab dsch gerne |
The phrase is used to affirm romantic feelings. ich liebe dich is a very strong declaration typically reserved for serious romantic relationships.
Which one should you use?
ich liebe dich is used for deep, romantic love between partners, while ich habe dich lieb is a more affectionate and less passionate way to express love, used for platonic or familial affection, such as between friends or family members.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
ich liebe dich is the most common and straightforward way to say "I love you". ich liebe Sie is the formal way of saying "I love you", used to address a single person or a group in a formal setting, though this is rare for romantic declarations.
How does it change in a sentence?
When addressing more than one person, use ich liebe euch instead of ich liebe dich. The form ich liebe Sie uses the formal Sie to address a single person or a group. Forms like ich hoan dich gear and isch hab dsch gerne are also available.
How do you pronounce it?
{'ipa': '/ˈʔɪç ˈliːbə ˌdɪç/'}
Did you know?
- German culture typically treats the first time a couple says ich liebe dich as a significant milestone, often occurring much later in a relationship than in Anglophone cultures.
- Using the formal Sie in ich liebe Sie creates a linguistic tension that is often used in literature to show a forbidden or socially distant attraction.
- The word lieb in ich liebe dich shares an ancestor with the archaic English word 'lief', used in phrases like 'my heart's lief', meaning 'beloved'.
Examples in context
- Ich liebe dich sehr.I love you very much.This sentence is useful for saying that you love someone very much 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 saying that you love a group of people too using ich liebe euch.Tatoeba #2700064 by al_ex_an_der, translation #628763 by meloncurtains
- Auch ich liebe euch.I love you too.Tatoeba #2700065 by al_ex_an_der, translation #2688199 by Joseph
- Ich liebe dich so sehr, mein Schatz.I love you so much, my darling.
- Ich habe Sie lieb und schätze Sie sehr.I have love for you and greatly appreciate you.
- Du bist die Liebe meines Lebens.You are the love of my life.
- Ich liebe Sie von ganzem Herzen.I love you with all my heart.
- 128 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A quiet evening at home.
- JulianIch liebe dich, Hannah.I love you, Hannah.
- HannahIch liebe dich auch, Julian.I love you too, Julian.
- JulianDas wollte ich dir schon lange sagen.I have wanted to tell you that for a long time.
- HannahDu machst mich sehr glücklich.You make me very happy.
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.
