mein Geliebter
/maɪ̯n ɡəˈliːptɐ/word by word
The English phrase "my lover" is translated into German as mein Geliebter.
This phrase refers to a person with whom one has a romantic or sexual relationship.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The term Geliebter carries a poetic, dramatic or literary tone. It is less common in casual everyday conversation than terms like Freund or Partner. If you want to speak informally, you might use the phrase Meine bessere Hälfte (My Better Half) to refer to your lover.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Bavarian dialect, you can use Mei Diandl to mean "my girl".
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase changes gender to match the person being referred to: use meine Geliebte for a female lover. The plural form of the phrase is meine Geliebten.
How do you pronounce it?
/maɪ̯n ɡəˈliːptɐ/
Did you know?
- In modern German, using mein Geliebter often implies a clandestine or extramarital affair rather than a standard partnership.
- The German word lieben can be used for people, but for objects or hobbies, Germans use gern haben or mögen to avoid sounding overly dramatic.
- The word Geliebter is a substantivized adjective, meaning it is actually the past participle of the verb lieben transformed into a noun. It literally translates to 'the one who is loved'.
Examples in context
- Mein Geliebter arbeitet an einer Sprachschule und liebt es sehr.My lover works at a language school and loves it very much.This sentence shows the use of mein Geliebter in a professional context.Tatoeba #11605028 by chonkiewords, translation #924154 by Scott
- Leider kommen meine Frau und mein Geliebter nicht sehr gut miteinander aus.Unfortunately, my wife and my lover don't get along very well together.This sentence illustrates the use of mein Geliebter when describing interpersonal relationships.Tatoeba #3559094 by alik_farber, translation #3558226 by _undertoad
- Ich bin glücklich, meinen Lebensgefährten an meiner Seite zu haben.I am happy to have my life companion by my side.
- Guten Morgen, mein Schatz.Good morning, my darling.
- Du bist meine bessere Hälfte, mein Herz.You are my better half, my heart.
- I mog di, mei Diandl.I love you, my girl.
- Mein Geliebter schreibt mir oft Liebesbriefe.My lover often writes me love letters.
Example conversation
Julia and Felix are talking about their secret lives.
- FelixWer ist dieser Mann auf dem Foto?Who is this man in the photo?
- JuliaDas ist mein Geliebter, Felix.That is my lover, Felix.
- FelixSeit wann seid ihr ein Paar?How long have you been a couple?
- JuliaWir sind schon seit zwei Jahren zusammen.We have been together for two years already.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (mein, Geliebter) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Geliebter, mein, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
