Say It Like You Mean It: How to Say “I Love You” in 32 Different Languages

Celebrate Valentine's Day every day by expressing your love in more than 30 languages.

Say It Like You Mean It: How to Say “I Love You” in 32 Different Languages

When it comes to expressing our love and affection, there’s nothing quite as powerful as those three little words: “I love you”. But did you know that saying “I love you” in different languages can add an extra layer of meaning and beauty to your message? From French’s Je t’aime to Spanish’s Te quiero and to Japanese’s Aishiteru, the way we express love varies greatly across cultures and languages. Each version has its own unique charm and significance.

  • In Arabic, “I love you” is “ana behibak” (أنا بحبك).
  • In Chinese, “I love you” is “wǒ ài nǐ” (我爱你).
  • In Dutch, “I love you” is “ik hou van je” (Ik hou van je).
  • In French, “I love you” is “je t’aime” (Je t’aime).
  • In German, “I love you” is “ich liebe dich” (Ich liebe dich).
  • In Greek, “I love you” is “s’agapo” (σ’αγαπώ).
  • In Hindi, “I love you” is “main tumse pyar karta hoon” (मैं तुमसे प्यार करता हूँ).
  • In Italian, “I love you” is “ti amo” (Ti amo).
  • In Japanese, “I love you” is “aishiteru” (愛してる).
  • In Korean, “I love you” is “saranghae” (사랑해).
  • In Portuguese, “I love you” is “eu te amo” (Eu te amo).
  • In Russian, “I love you” is “ya tebya lyublyu” (Я тебя люблю).
  • In Spanish, “I love you” is “te quiero” (Te quiero).
  • In Swedish, “I love you” is “jag älskar dig” (Jag älskar dig).
  • In Turkish, “I love you” is “seni seviyorum” (Seni seviyorum).
  • In Ukrainian, “I love you” is “ya tebe kokhayu” (Я тебе кохаю).

Here are some more ways to say “I love you” in other languages:

  • Afrikaans: Ek het jou lief!
  • Albanian: Te dua!
  • Bengali: Aami tomake bhalo bashi! (আমি তোমাকে ভালবাসি।)
  • Czech: Miluji te!
  • Danish: Jeg elsker dig!
  • Estonian: Ma armastan sind!
  • Finnish: Rakastan sinua!
  • Hungarian: Szeretlek!
  • Icelandic: Eg elska þig!
  • Indonesian: Saya cinta kamu!
  • Irish: Tá grá agam duit!
  • Latvian: Es tevi mīlu!
  • Lithuanian: Aš tave myliu!
  • Norwegian: Jeg elsker deg!

Love is such a magical and refreshing feeling. No wonder it makes us smile so broadly. Although it makes us do crazy things, it still remains the purest of feelings. Under its spell, we become brave enough to show our true selves and crazy enough to scream, at the top of our lungs, in the middle of Times Square: I LOVE YOU! But sometimes we feel that even that wouldn’t be enough, so we look for new ways to say “I love you”. And when it comes to romance, French – being the language of love – is the first thing that pops into our minds. It has a peerless romantic elegance that is simply contagious. “I love you” in French – Je t’aime – sounds like it could melt any heart!

Is this still not enough? Here’s how saying “I love you” different languages can be fun:

How to say I love you – a quick guide for “I love you”s in 30 most common languages

Modern society makes us feel so much and express so little! We’ve become shallow. Just like the song says, many of us aren’t probably happy in this modern world. We bury ourselves every day under mountains of unexpressed feelings often because of social media. We’re afraid to show our inner, deeper selves. We put on masks. We don’t dare to be romantic anymore. And still, our loved ones are the ones that get to discover more of ourselves. More than just a pretty face and a cool Instagram account. That’s because they drown us in authentic, real love. They see the best in us and stick around even the hardest times. And they deserve the same back. Always. Not just on Valentine’s Day. But every single day! Wine for him, flowers for her, little gifts for the both of them. Today. This is a reminder.

i love you in french

Now back to expressing your love in different languages. If you feel like the video above wasn’t enough for you, here’s how to write “I love you” in different languages – with transliterations where it’s needed. Keep in mind that these aren’t always the most commonly used in their home country. They are, instead, the most complete and grammatically correct – which is what you really need in the beginning.

P.S.: If you are getting too excited to find out how do you say I love you in Spanish, here’s the quick answer: te amo!
While there’s a second form – te quiero – that is used more for family and friends, “te amo” is more romantic and has a deeper meaning of love. So if you want to say that to your lover, you should definitely use “te amo”.

  • I love you in Afrikaans: Ek is lief vir jou!
  • I love you in Arabic: انا احبك! – Ana ohibuk!
  • I love you in Bulgarian: Обичам те! – Obicham te!
  • I love you in Portuguese: Eu te amo!
  • I love you in Czech: Miluji tě!
  • I love you in Danish: Jeg elsker dig!
  • I love you in German: Ich liebe dich!
  • I love you in Greek: Σε αγαπώ! – Se agapó̱!
  • I love you in Spanish: Te amo!
  • I love you in Persian: !عاشق تو هستم – Aasheghe to hastam!
  • I love you in Finnish: Rakastan sinua!
  • I love you in French: Je t’aime!
  • I love you in Hebrew: אני אוהבת אותך! – Anee o’hevet otkha!
  • I love you in Hindi: मैं तुमसे प्यार करती हूँ! – Main tumasee pyaar karatee huun!
how to say i love you by Tyler Nix©
  • I love you in Croatian: Volim te!
  • I love you in Hungarian: Szeretlek!
  • I love you in Indonesian: Saya cinta padamu!
  • I love you in Italian: Ti amo!
  • I love you in Japanese: 私はあなたを愛しています。- Watashi wa anata o aishiteimasu!
  • I love you in Korean: 당신을 사랑해요! – Dangsineul saranghaeyo!
  • I love you in Norwegian: Jeg elsker deg!
  • I love you in Dutch: Ik hou van je!
  • I love you in Polish: Kocham cię!
  • I love you in Romanian: Te iubesc!
  • I love you in Russian: Я тебя люблю! – Ya tebya lyublyu!
  • I love you in Swedish: Jag älskar dig!
  • I love you in Turkish: Seni seviyorum!
  • I love you in Ukrainian: Я люблю тебе! – Ya lyublyu tebe!
  • I love you in Vietnamese: Em yêu anh!
  • I love you in Chinese: 我爱你。- Wǒ ài nǐ!

Go the extra mile and learn a new language for someone you love! ❤️

 

Here’s a short recap with only the correct pronunciations:

“I love you” in sign language

To sign “I love you”, put up your thumb, index finger and pinkie finger while keeping your ring finger and your middle finger down. Like this:

I love you in sign language

The perfect Valentine’s Day gift: 365 gifts for 365 days

Now that you know how to say “I love you” in so many languages, here’s a sweet present idea you could use for your next anniversary or Valentine’s Day. All you need to buy is a big jar – big enough for all your love. The rest of it comes from the bottom of your heart. The first step is to prepare 365 pieces of paper of different colors and sizes and write “I love you” in different languages on the first 32 of them. Go wildly romantic with the rest of them: you could write love quotes for him or love quotes for her, poems or songs that you both like. Next step? Decorate the jar with tiny lights, pieces of lace or stickers.

i love you in spanish by Diego PH©

When it’s ready, tell your lover to read one piece of paper every day. Even when you are not around. That’s how they’ll smile and know that your heart always belongs to them.

A love poem for your loved one

Look no further if you need a love poem or a love song for your jar. It doesn’t necessarily need to be original. It just has to come from the heart. Here’s a love song for your love jar:

Verse 1:
My heart beats fast
Whenever you’re near, I’m under your spell
You light up my world, like a firework
I love you, it’s plain to see, you’re my everything
Chorus:
I love you, with every breath I take
I’ll love you, for all the choices I make
I love you, with every step I take
I’ll love you, for all the chances I take
Verse 2:
With you, everything feels right
With you, everything falls into place
With you, I can reach new heights
With you, nothing can replace
Chorus:
I love you, with every breath I take
I’ll love you, for all the choices I make
I love you, with every step I take
I’ll love you, for all the chances I take

If, on the other hand, you’d rather choose a poem, here’s a very cute idea:

Love is a feeling that cannot be tamed,
A fire that burns, a love that’s claimed.
With you, my heart skips a beat,
With you, my life is complete.

A love like ours is worth the fight,
With you, everything feels just right.
In your arms, I am safe and warm,
With you, forever, I’ll be adorned.

With every moment, every day,
I feel my love for you grow in every single way.
You are my everything, my one true love,
Forever and always, to you, I’ll be true.

Love is a journey, let’s take the ride,
Together, forever, side by side.
With you, my love will never end,
With you, my heart will forever blend.


From “I love you” to conversational fast

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Diana Lăpușneanu - Linguist at Mondly Blog

Diana is a Linguist at Mondly by Pearson. Learning English as a second language early on fueled her lifelong passion for language learning, leading her to pursue a diverse array of languages as a hobby alongside her academic endeavors. With a Master’s Degree in advertising and a fascination for historical linguistics, she brings a unique perspective to her role, making language learning fun for readers worldwide.


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