Saying "I love you" in a different language has a certain mystery and exoticism that saying it in Spanish simply does not. European languages are good allies to start expressing what you feel. Here we will show you the correct way to tell a loved one in French, German and Italian.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: In French
Step 1. Master the basics
As in any language, there are many ways to tell someone that you love them. Start with something easy and work your way up to the hardest. You can be nervous at first, so you better start with the easy.
- "I love you" is "Je t'aime". It sounds like shyé - tem. This is the strongest way to tell someone that you love them.
- "I adore you" is "Je t'adore". It sounds like shye - ta - dór (the r is very soft and should only be pronounced lightly).
- "I wish you" is "I will give you". Sounds like shye - ta - de - yeah - ah.
Step 2. Practice, practice some more, and keep practicing
As with anything else, practice will make these words much easier to say. The sounds in French are not the same as in Spanish, so practice your accent along with the words.
Almost all translation websites have an audio option. Listen to how a French says it and imitate the exact sound. There are also many videos on the Internet that show the exact placement of the mouth and tongue to correctly produce the sound
Step 3. Be creative
If you've already managed to say "Je t'aime", go a little further to express your feelings. There are many more poetic and meaningful ways to show emotions.
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Add expressions of affection. Just as you say "I love you, baby" or "I love you, my love", you could also say in French "mon amour", "mon / ma chéri (e)" and "mon bébé" to decorate the phrase. These phrases mean "my love", "my dear" and "my baby", respectively. "Ma chérie" is for a woman and "mon chéri" is for a man.
The possessive adjectives "mon" and "ma" (mi) have to agree with the sex of the expression of affection, not with your own sex, nor necessarily that of the person to whom you are going to speak. In general, masculine expressions of affection can be used for both men and women, while feminine expressions can only be used for women
Method 2 of 3: In German
Step 1. Pronounce the sounds correctly
Different variations of German can pronounce "ich" ("I") in different ways and it is generally impossible to spell it correctly in Spanish. The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) writes it as [ɪç], a phoneme that does not exist in Spanish.
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However, it is a sound very similar to that of the letter "j". Place your mouth in position to pronounce the word "jiote." That first sound, when the air is coming out to pronounce the "j", but the mouth is ready to say the "o", is the closest thing to [ç]. Now, prepend an "i" to correctly pronounce the word "ich".
Many websites write it as "ish". Actually, it's close, but it's not the perfect sound. Imagine it's a "sh", but place the center of your tongue on the roof of your mouth, extend it, and make the "sh" sound. It may sound funny at first
Step 2. Put the sentence together
Now that you can say "Ich", you can practice the whole sentence: Ich liebe dich.
- "Liebe" is a little easier. The second syllable, "ba" is a bit like "er". Imagine it's the "er" sound. "Liebe" must sound between li-ba and li-ber.
- "Dich" has the same sound as "ich". Put a "d" in front of it and you're done!
Step 3. Make it effortless
Practice it over and over again until you manage to make the [ç] sound and lightly pronounce the "ba" sound by throwing at "er". Ich liebe dich, Ich liebe dich. You almost made it!
Don't use "du" instead of "dich." Yes, it is true, "du" means you, but only for the nominative case. In German cases are used (in Spanish not) and in this example, "tú" has to be in the accusative case
Method 3 of 3: In Italian
Step 1. Know the subtle differences
In Italian there are two main phrases to say that you love someone: Ti amo and Ti voglio bene. Differences are slowly morphing, as the language changes and evolves.
- "Ti amo" implies a sexual relationship. It contains a certain lust.
- "Ti voglio bene" is much less sexual. It's more like "I love you". You would tell someone for whom you would risk your life as a human. It is less serious because it is less passionate, but it is more serious because of the sense of commitment that comes with it.
Step 2. Choose the phrase you want to say and start practicing the pronunciation
Once you decide which of the two phrases is more appropriate, start practicing saying it. "Ti amo" is a bit easier than "Ti voglio bene", but both can be easy.
- "Ti amo" is quite direct and is pronounced as seen: Ti amo. Simple as that!
- "Ti voglio bene" sounds ti vó-lio bé-ne.
Step 3. Say it
You've already learned it, you've been practicing, and now you're done! When the time is right, say so. All the hard work will definitely pay off.
If appropriate, add a "cara mia", which means "my love." Imagine it: Cara mia, ti voglio bene. You can practically hear the heartbeat from here
Advice
- Practice saying this to yourself at least 2-3 times before telling the person. Don't let it be that you mispronounce it and end up saying something else without wanting to!
- Breathe Most likely, the person knows that you are making an effort, even if it is not perfect.