mein Lieber
/maɪ̯n ˈliːbɐ/word by word
The German phrase for "my dear" is mein Lieber.
mein Lieber is an informal way to address a male person affectionately. It can also be used as an interjection to express surprise or disbelief, similar to how an English speaker might say "my goodness" or "good heavens".
Which one should you use?
While mein Lieber is the masculine form, you should use other forms depending on who you are addressing or what you mean: meine Liebe is used for a female, Liebster is a term of endearment for males and Liebste is a term of endearment for females.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine form mein Lieber changes to the feminine meine Liebe when addressing a woman. If you are addressing a group of dear people, use the plural form meine Lieben.
How do you pronounce it?
/maɪ̯n ˈliːbɐ/
Did you know?
- Using mein Lieber as an interjection of disbelief can sound patronizing if not careful, as it often carries a tone of 'my dear fellow' used when someone has said something foolish.
- The word lieber is a comparative form, literally meaning 'dearer'. In German, the standard way to say 'my dear' uses the word for 'more dear' rather than the simple adjective for 'dear'.
- The word Lieber shares the same linguistic root as the English word 'lover', stemming from the same Proto-Germanic source for 'dear' or 'beloved'.
Examples in context
- Elementar, mein lieber Watson.Elementary, my dear Watson.This sentence demonstrates the use of mein Lieber in a famous catchphrase.Tatoeba #3598418 by Esperantostern, translation #3070616 by carlosalberto
- Wie geht es dir, mein lieber Schatz?How are you, my dear?This sentence shows how to use mein Lieber when asking someone how they are.Tatoeba #2228420 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #1312590 by Eldad
- Es ist ganz einfach, mein lieber Tom.It's elementary, my dear Tom.This sentence shows mein Lieber being used when addressing someone by their name.Tatoeba #6383510 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #3093918 by Hybrid
- Hallo mein Lieber, wie geht es dir heute?Hello my dear, how are you today?
- Ich vermisse dich, meine Liebe.I miss you, my dear.
- Guten Morgen, Liebster! Hast du gut geschlafen?Good morning, my dear! Did you sleep well?
- Liebste, ich möchte dir etwas Wichtiges sagen.Darling, I want to tell you something important.
- 13 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julia and Julian are talking in their living room.
- JuliaKomm bitte her, mein Lieber.Please come here, my dear.
- JulianIst etwas passiert, Julia?Did something happen, Julia?
- JuliaNein, ich wollte dich nur umarmen.No, I just wanted to hug you.
- JulianDas ist sehr lieb von dir.That is very sweet of you.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (mein, Lieber) and can differ in connected speech.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
