meine Liebe
The English phrase "my love" is translated into German as meine Liebe.
meine Liebe is a term used to refer to a romantic partner or someone the speaker loves. While it can be used as a way to describe the concept of one's love, other terms are frequently used for direct address. For instance, Schatz is a common informal way to say "darling" or "sweetheart" between couples and Süße/r can be used to refer to a loved one in a cute and affectionate way. You might also hear the phrase Du bist meine große Liebe to mean "You are my great love".
Which one should you use?
While meine Liebe is a valid way to express your love, there is a distinction in how you address someone directly. When addressing a person as a term of endearment, Germans more commonly use mein Liebster for a man or meine Liebste for a woman instead of meine Liebe.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form meine Liebe is grammatically feminine and is used when addressing a woman. In the context of direct address, the masculine form is mein Liebster and the feminine form is meine Liebste.
Did you know?
- While meine Liebe is used for romance, the word Schatz used for 'darling' literally means 'treasure' or 'gem'.
- In Old High German, the root of Liebe actually meant 'fortune' or 'pleasantness' rather than just romantic affection.
- While meine Liebe is grammatically correct, using it as a direct way to call out to a partner can sometimes sound overly poetic or dramatic, like a line from an old novel.
Examples in context
- Meine Liebe ist weit weg gegangen.My love has gone far away.This sentence shows the use of meine Liebe to describe a person who has departed.Tatoeba #7057269 by quicksanddiver, translation #25532 by boink
- Fröhliche Weihnachten, meine Liebe!Merry Christmas, my love!This sentence demonstrates a holiday greeting using meine Liebe as a term of endearment.Tatoeba #4948776 by deLeeuw, translation #1320234 by Eldad
- Wie kann ich dir meine Liebe beweisen?How can I prove my love to you?This sentence shows how to use meine Liebe when talking about proving one's affection.Tatoeba #12630713 by Waldelfe, translation #10767898 by CK
- 12 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Maximilian is greeting Laura in the morning.
- LauraGuten Morgen, meine Liebe!Good morning, my love!
- MaximilianGuten Morgen, Schatz.Good morning, sweetheart.
- LauraMöchtest du einen Kaffee?Would you like a coffee?
- MaximilianJa, bitte, das wäre toll.Yes, please, that would be great.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Liebe, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
