mit Liebe
/mɪt ˈliːbə/word by word
The English phrase 'with love' is translated into German as mit Liebe.
mit Liebe is used to express affection for a recipient. While it can function as a closing phrase in a letter or card, it is more common in German to use Alles Liebe or In Liebe to express this sentiment at the end of a message.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the preposition mit (with) and the noun Liebe (love).
Which one should you use?
While mit Liebe can be used, In Liebe is a more standard and idiomatic way to say 'With love' when used as a letter closing.
How do you pronounce it?
/mɪt ˈliːbə/
Did you know?
- The German word Liebe originally meant something much broader than just romantic passion, tracing its roots back to concepts of 'fortune', 'health', and 'pleasantness'.
- Using In Liebe can be seen as very intense or intimate, making it less common for casual acquaintances than the English 'with love'.
Examples in context
- Verwechsle nicht Lust mit Liebe.Don't confuse desire with love.This sentence shows the distinction between desire and mit Liebe.Tatoeba #615315 by virgil, translation #324955 by CM
- Tom sah Maria mit liebenden Augen an.Tom gazed at Mary with love in his eyes.This sentence uses mit Liebe to describe the look in someone's eyes.Tatoeba #5713491 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #1028867 by CK
- Mit Liebe gekocht schmeckt’s doppelt so gut!Cooked with love, it tastes twice as good!This sentence shows how something cooked mit Liebe tastes better.Tatoeba #10703380 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #13614635 by althead
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lukas and Sarah are talking about a birthday card Sarah wrote for her grandmother.
- LukasWas hast du an das Ende der Karte geschrieben?What did you write at the end of the card?
- SarahIch habe einfach 'mit Liebe' geschrieben.I just wrote 'with love'.
- LukasDas ist sehr süß von dir, Sarah.That is very sweet of you, Sarah.
- SarahSie wird sich sicher darüber freuen.She will surely be happy about it.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (mit, Liebe) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Liebe, mit, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
