Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ich mag dich | informal | |
| du gefällst mir | informal | |
| Sie gefallen mir | /ziː ɡəˈfaln̩ miːɐ̯/ (word by word) | formal |
| ich mag Sie | formal |
The specific German expression you choose depends on whether your feelings are platonic or based on physical attraction, and whether you are speaking to someone formally or informally.
What does it mean word for word?
In the expression du gefällst mir, the word mir is in the dative case because the verb gefallen requires a dative object, meaning the phrase literally translates to "you are pleasing to me".
Which one should you use?
There are subtle differences in nuance between the informal options. ich mag dich is the simplest and most common way to express a platonic liking for someone's personality. In contrast, du gefällst mir focuses on the person being pleasing or attractive to you, often implying physical or aesthetic attraction. A casual variant of the most common expression is Ich hab' dich gern.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For informal situations, use ich mag dich, du gefällst mir or the casual Ich hab' dich gern. For formal situations, you can use ich mag Sie or Sie gefallen mir. To express fondness towards someone you admire or respect in a formal way, you might say Sie sind mir sympathisch. If you are expressing fondness for someone you do not know intimately, you can use the formal expression Ich empfinde Sympathie für Sie. or Ich habe Sie gern.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the formal Sie, the verb gefallen must be conjugated in the plural form because Sie is treated as a plural pronoun in terms of verb agreement, resulting in Sie gefallen mir.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using ich liebe dich if you simply mean you like someone. Ich liebe dich translates to "I love you" and is a much stronger expression reserved for romantic love.
Did you know?
- The word sympathisch in Sie sind mir sympathisch does not mean 'sympathetic' in the sense of feeling pity, but rather that a person is likeable or agreeable.
- The verb gefallen in du gefällst mir is built from ge- and the word fallen, which means 'to fall'.
- While ich mag dich is the standard way to say 'I like you', using ich liebe dich too early in a relationship is often seen as an overwhelming commitment in German culture.
Examples in context
- Ich mag dich sehr.I like you very much.This sentence shows how to express liking someone very much using ich mag dich.Tatoeba #607521 by virgil, translation #257095 by CK
- Ich mag dich auch.I like you, too.This sentence shows how to say you like someone in return using ich mag dich.Tatoeba #3491297 by Zaghawa, translation #3374142 by CK
- Ich mag dich wieder.I like you again.This sentence shows how to say you like someone again using ich mag dich.Tatoeba #13094266 by Biderl, translation #13179641 by rul
- 16 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their feelings during a walk.
- HannahIch mag dich.I like you.
- MaximilianDas ist lieb von dir, Hannah.That is sweet of you, Hannah.
- HannahMeinst du das ernst?Do you mean that seriously?
- MaximilianJa, ich mag dich auch sehr.Yes, I like you very much too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I like you” translations and entries ich mag dich, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (Sie, gefallen, mir) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Sie, du, gefallen, ich, mir, sie, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
