my lief
In Afrikaans, 'my love' is translated as my lief.
my lief is used as a direct address to a romantic partner or a very close loved one.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of my, meaning 'my' and lief, which means 'love' (functioning as a noun or adjective in certain contexts).
Which one should you use?
While my lief is a standard way to express this, you might use liefie to make the term even more affectionate and cute. If you want to be more formal, you can use My geliefde, which means 'my beloved'. For more informal or playful options, My skat means 'my darling' or 'my sweetheart' and My bokkie is a playful term meaning 'my little buck'.
Did you know?
- The word skat in my skat literally translates to 'treasure', making the term an expression of how much you value the person.
- The word lief shares a common Proto-Indo-European ancestor with the English word 'love', specifically the root *lewbʰ-.
- Afrikaans speakers often use the diminutive liefie not just for romance, but occasionally for children or pets to express warmth.
Examples in context
- Ek is lief vir jou, my lief.I love you, my love.
- Alles sal regkom, my lief.Everything will be fine, my love.
- Jy lyk pragtig vandag, my lief.You look beautiful today, my love.
Example conversation
Johan and Marelize are having coffee in their kitchen.
- JohanGoeiemôre, my lief.Good morning, my love.
- MarelizeGoeiemôre, Johan. Het jy goed geslaap?Good morning, Johan. Did you sleep well?
- JohanJa, ek het baie goed geslaap.Yes, I slept very well.
- MarelizeDit is goed om te hoor.That is good to hear.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries lief, my, CC BY-SA 4.0.
