Wen liebst du?
The English phrase 'who do you love' is translated into German as Wen liebst du?
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The informal way to ask 'Who do you love?' is Wen liebst du? For strangers or in professional contexts, the formal way to ask this is Wen lieben Sie?
How does it change in a sentence?
The word Wen is the accusative case of wer (who), which is required because the verb lieben (to love) takes a direct object. In the phrase Wen liebst du?, the verb lieben is conjugated in the second person singular to match the subject du.
Did you know?
- German has a specific word Liebeskummer, which describes the particular heartache or misery caused by unrequited or lost love.
- The word du is a distant relative of the archaic English word 'thou'. Both descend from the same Proto-Germanic root used for the singular second person.
- In German, the verb lieben is often reserved for intense romantic or familial love. For liking a person or a thing, Germans typically use the verb mögen instead.
Examples in context
- Wen liebst du?Who do you love?This example shows how to ask the question Wen liebst du?Tatoeba #1584298 by Esperantostern, translation #1568786 by Sharaf78
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about romance in a cafe.
- HannahDu wirkst so glücklich, Felix. Wen liebst du?You seem so happy, Felix. Who do you love?
- FelixIch liebe meine neue Freundin.I love my new girlfriend.
- HannahDas ist wunderbar!That is wonderful!
- FelixJa, sie ist toll.Yes, she is great.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries du, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
