I love you in German is Ich liebe dich (ikh LEE-beh dikh). It is a weighty phrase, mostly kept for a partner. For family and close friends, Germans say Ich hab dich lieb: loving, but not necessarily romantic. Ich mag dich means I like you. The reply is Ich liebe dich auch, or simply Ich dich auch.
- Romantic
- Ich liebe dich
- Family and friends
- Ich hab dich lieb
- I like you
- Ich mag dich
- Reply
- Ich dich auch
- Pet name
- Schatz
- Level
- A1
What is the difference between Ich liebe dich and Ich hab dich lieb?
Ich liebe dich is the big romantic declaration. Ich hab dich lieb (short for ich habe dich lieb) is affection: what you say to your mum on the phone, your sibling, a best friend, and often your partner too. German draws a line here that English doesn't, so an early Ich liebe dich can feel like a big step.
| German | English | Who to |
|---|---|---|
| Ich mag dich | I like you | A crush, a new friend |
| Ich hab dich gern | I'm fond of you | Friends; more common in the south and Austria |
| Ich hab dich lieb | I love you (affectionately) | Family, close friends, partners |
| Ich hab euch lieb | I love you all | Family, a group of friends |
| Ich liebe dich | I love you | A partner |
| Ich bin in dich verliebt | I'm in love with you | A confession |
| Ich liebe dich auch | I love you too | The reply |
| Du bist mir wichtig | You matter to me | Serious, without the L-word |
Being in love has its own verb, sich verlieben, and its adjective verliebt. Stefan reads it off Maya's face in a second:
"Du bist verliebt!", sagt er sofort. "Nein!", antwortet Maya zu schnell.Why is it dich and not dir?
Lieben takes a direct object in the accusative: dich (you, du), euch (you, plural), Sie (you, formal). "Ich liebe dir" is a very common learner mistake. The same goes for the phrase with lieb: Ich hab dich lieb.
Ich liebe dich so sehr.
I love you so much.
Ich liebe euch, Mama und Papa.
I love you, Mum and Dad.
Ich liebe dich mehr als alles auf der Welt.
I love you more than anything in the world.
Ich liebe Pizza!
I love pizza!
With things, lieben is as casual as in English.
What pet names do Germans use?
Schatz (treasure) is by far the most common, and parents use it for children too. Others include Schatzi, Liebling (darling), Maus or Mäuschen (little mouse) and Hase (bunny). Old letters often start with Mein Liebling or Mein lieber… / Meine liebe….
In this A2 story, Emma finds thirty-five unsent letters in her grandmother's café, all addressed to the same man:
Emma liest einen Namen auf einem Brief: "An Klaus. Mein liebes Herz."How do you say I love you in a message or letter?
Texts between partners and family often end with HDL (hab dich lieb), HDGDL (hab dich ganz doll lieb, love you loads) or Kuss (kiss). Letters close with In Liebe (with love) or Dein / Deine and your name.
When the person is far away, see how to say I miss you in German; for the bedtime version, how to say good night in German.
Find out who Klaus was in a free A2 German story, and tap any word to see its meaning.
Read free in your browserFrequently asked questions
How do you pronounce Ich liebe dich?
"ikh LEE-beh dikh". The ch in ich and dich is soft, made at the front of the mouth, like a whispered "hy" in "huge". It is not a k and not the throaty ch of Nacht.
How do you reply to Ich liebe dich?
Ich liebe dich auch (I love you too), or the short and very common Ich dich auch. To Ich hab dich lieb, answer Ich dich auch or Ich hab dich auch lieb.
Do Germans say Ich liebe dich less often than English speakers say I love you?
Many Germans say so, because Ich hab dich lieb takes over much of the everyday, family use of "love you". Couples who say Ich liebe dich daily certainly exist; it varies by person.
What does Schatz mean?
Literally "treasure". It's the most common German term of endearment, used between partners and by parents to children, roughly "darling" or "sweetheart".