Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ich liebe dich | /ˈʔɪç ˈliːbə ˌdɪç/ | |
| ich habe dich lieb | ||
| ich habe Sie lieb | ||
| ich hoan dich gear | ||
| isch hab dsch gerne | ||
| ich liebe euch | plural | |
| ich habe euch lieb | plural | |
| ich liebe Sie | formal, plural, singular |
The phrase is an affirmation of romantic feeling. In German, ich liebe dich is a very heavy and serious statement, often reserved for committed romantic partners.
Which one should you use?
The phrase ich liebe dich is used for deep, romantic love. In contrast, ich habe dich lieb is used to express a warm, platonic or familial affection and is less intense than the romantic version. For the plural, you can use ich liebe euch or ich habe euch lieb.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The informal way to say "I love you" is ich liebe dich. If you need to be formal, you can use ich liebe Sie or ich habe Sie lieb, which uses the formal Sie to address a single person or a group, though this is rare for romantic declarations.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Bavaria, people sometimes use the phrase I mog di to express their love, which translates to "I like you." In Swabia, people might use the phrase I hab' di gern to express their love, which means "I like you."
How does it change in a sentence?
When addressing more than one person, the pronoun dich changes to euch, resulting in forms like ich liebe euch.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈʔɪç ˈliːbə ˌdɪç/
Did you know?
- Because ich liebe dich is so intense, using it too early in a relationship can actually be seen as a warning sign or a way to overwhelm someone.
- The adjective 'lieb' in ich habe dich lieb shares an ancestral root with the archaic English word 'lief', which meant 'beloved' or 'dear'.
- Germans may use the phrase ich hab' dich lieb with pets or children to distinguish this 'tender' love from the 'passionate' love of ich liebe dich.
Examples in context
- Ich liebe dich sehr.I love you very much.This sentence is useful for expressing how much you love someone 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 expressing reciprocal love to multiple people 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
- 128 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple is having a romantic dinner at home.
- LauraIch liebe dich.I love you.
- FelixIch liebe dich auch, Laura.I love you too, Laura.
- LauraDas ist so schön zu hören.That is so lovely to hear.
- FelixDu bist meine ganze Welt.You are my whole world.
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.
