danke, meine Liebe
The English phrase "thank you, my love" translates to German as danke, meine Liebe.
danke, meine Liebe is an expression of gratitude used when speaking to a female partner or a loved one.
Which one should you use?
While danke, meine Liebe is a direct translation of "my love", Germans more commonly use the term danke, mein Schatz (thank you, my treasure/sweetheart) as a generic term of endearment for both men and women.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase danke, meine Liebe, the word meine is the feminine nominative form of "my", which matches the feminine noun Liebe.
Did you know?
- The word Liebe is often used in German compound words to describe things that are 'darling' or 'sweet', such as Lieblingsfarbe for 'favorite color'.
- Calling someone mein Schatz is so common that it can be used for partners, children and even close friends regardless of gender.
- In Old High German, the ancestor of Liebe was lioba, which originally referred to things like 'fortune', 'health' or 'pleasantness' rather than just romantic affection.
Examples in context
- Danke schön, mein Liebling.Thank you very much, my darling.
- Ich bin dir so dankbar, mein Schatz.I am so grateful to you, my sweetheart
- Danke, meine Liebe, für die Blumen.Thank you, my love, for the flowers.
- Du bist toll, danke, meine Liebe.You are great, thank you, my love.
- Danke, meine Liebe, für das Frühstück.Thank you, my love, for the breakfast.
Example conversation
Lukas and Hannah are at home in the kitchen.
- LukasDas Essen schmeckt wunderbar, danke, meine Liebe.The food tastes wonderful, thank you, my love.
- HannahGerne geschehen, Schatz.You're welcome, darling.
- LukasDu hast heute wirklich viel gearbeitet.You really worked a lot today.
- HannahEs war mir eine Freude.It was my pleasure.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Liebe, danke, CC BY-SA 4.0.
