Are you interested in learning how to say "I love you" in German? You have it easy: it is a very simple phrase and almost everyone can pronounce it. Follow the steps below if you want to impress someone with your German skills or if you need to tell your "Schatzi" how you feel.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Basic way of saying "I love you"
Step 1. Use "Ich liebe dich" to say "I love you"
We will teach you to pronounce each word separately, but phonetically it looks something like this: [ɪç 'li: bə dɪç].
Step 2. Say "ich"
This word is the pronoun "I" in "(I) love you". The / ch / sound in German, also known as the "voiceless palatal fricative", is pronounced similar to the / j / sound in Spanish.
The / ch / sound is very difficult for those who do not have German as their mother tongue. Most Spanish speakers pronounce it as the Spanish "ch"
Step 3. Say "liebe"
This word is the verb of the phrase, and is equivalent to "I love" in "I love you". Say it slowly "lii-be". The "l" is pronounced normally, but the "ie" sound is pronounced like an "i" in Spanish. The sound of the syllable "be" is very similar to what it would have in Spanish. Put the syllables "li" and "be" together to pronounce "liebe".
Step 4. Say "dich."
The "ich" sound in "dich" is pronounced similar to the word "ich" that we mentioned in the first step. The difference is that the / j / sound (/ ch / in German) occurs in the middle of the mouth instead of the front. "Dich" is equivalent to the pronoun "te" of "I love you".
Method 2 of 2: Other ways to say "I love you" or similar phrases
Step 1. Say "I've fallen in love with you."
A more serious and romantic way of saying "I love you". You have to say it like this: "Ich habe mich in dich verliebt". Its phonetic transcription is: [ɪç 'ha: bə mɪç ɪn dɪç fɛɐ'li: pt].
Step 2. Say "I like you very much."
To express it you will have to say "Ich mag dich sehr", which literally translates as "I like you very" (although in German it sounds a bit better). The phonetic notation is: [ɪç ma: k dɪç ze: ɐ].
Step 3. Say "I like you."
To express it say: "Du gefällst mir". The phonetic transcription in this case is: [du: gə'fɛlst mi: ə].
Step 4. Add warm words to your compliments
If you really want to make a mark with your compliments, be sure to add an affectionate term or two (just kidding, one is enough) to your declarations of love. You can use both below:
- "Schatz", which means "darling" or according to its exact translation "treasure". Its phonetic transcription is: [ʃats]. Try "Mein Schatz, ich liebe dich!" Or "Ich liebe dich, Schatzi."
- "Liebling", which means "my love". Its phonetic notation is: ['li: plɪŋ]. Try saying "Liebling, du bist so hübsch" ("my love, you are so pretty").
Advice
- Pronounce the words correctly so that you can be understood and you don't have to go through the embarrassment of repeating the phrase.
- Smile when you say it.
Warnings
- Don't pronounce "ich" like the / ch / sound in Spanish.
- Don't pronounce "dich" with the Spanish / ch / sound.
- Don't make the typical rookie mistake of saying "Ich liebe du" instead of "Ich liebe dich."
- Do not say it if it is not what you really feel and want to express.
- These pronunciation prompts are not exact or academic, they are just an aid. To hear the phrase, go to Google Translate and hear how each word is pronounced.