Lingua
Three words, ten languages, and almost never a one-to-one match. In some languages "I love you" closes every phone call; in others it is kept for a handful of moments in a lifetime, and the everyday version literally means "I like you". If your partner grew up in another language, knowing which is which matters more than a perfect accent.
Below is the phrase in each of the ten languages LinguaPair teaches, in its own script, with a reading hint for English speakers and a note on when it fits.
Key points
- The dictionary translation is not always the right one: in Japanese the everyday declaration is 好きだよ (suki da yo), not 愛してる (aishiteru), and in Spanish te quiero is far more common than te amo.
- Several languages split love in two: one phrase for a partner only (Italian ti amo, German ich liebe dich) and one that also works for family and friends (ti voglio bene, ich hab dich lieb).
- In Korean and Vietnamese the words change with the relationship: politeness endings in Korean, the pronouns anh and em in Vietnamese.
The ten phrases at a glance
The reading hints use English spelling and are approximate; capitals mark the stressed syllable where the language has stress.
| Language | Phrase | Say it roughly like | Where it fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | I love you | eye LUV yoo | partners, family, often friends; said a lot |
| German | Ich liebe dich | ikh LEE-buh dikh | a partner; weighty, not said in passing |
| Spanish | Te quiero / Te amo | teh KYEH-roh / teh AH-moh | te quiero every day, te amo for deep moments |
| French | Je t'aime | zhuh TEM | a partner or close family |
| Italian | Ti amo | tee AH-moh | romantic love only |
| Japanese | 好きだよ / 愛してる | skee dah yoh / eye-shee-teh-roo | suki every day, aishiteru rarely |
| Korean | 사랑해 / 사랑해요 | sah-rahng-heh / sah-rahng-heh-yoh | the plain form to a partner, -yo is polite |
| Portuguese | Eu te amo / Amo-te | EH-oo chee AH-moo / AH-moo-tuh | Brazil / Portugal |
| Russian | Я тебя люблю | yah tee-BYAH lyoo-BLYOO | serious, said at real moments |
| Vietnamese | Anh yêu em / Em yêu anh | ahn yew em / em yew ahn | depends on who says it to whom |
Language by language
English: I love you
Said often and widely: between partners, to children and parents, at the end of phone calls. The shortened love you is casual and everyday. Before a relationship is settled, I like you is the cautious first step, and I'm in love with you is stronger than I love you, because it is only about romance.
German: Ich liebe dich
Ich liebe dich is kept for a partner, and many Germans say it less often than English speakers do, so it carries weight. For warmth without the weight there is ich hab dich lieb, which works for family, friends and partners alike. Ich mag dich is "I like you". The formal Sie has no place here: it is always dich.
Spanish: te quiero and te amo
Spanish has two verbs. Te quiero, from querer, is what couples, parents and close friends say every day. Te amo is deeper and more solemn: in Spain it can sound like a film or a vow, while in much of Latin America couples use it more freely, though still mostly for a partner. Me gustas is "I like you", the usual first step.
French: je t'aime
Je t'aime is said to a partner and also to children and parents. The trap is that adding a word makes it smaller: je t'aime bien means "I like you", friendly rather than romantic, and je t'adore is often playful rather than more serious. Je suis amoureux de toi (amoureuse when a woman says it) is "I'm in love with you".
Italian: ti amo and ti voglio bene
Italian draws a clear line. Ti amo is romantic love only; said to a friend or a mother it would sound odd. Ti voglio bene, literally "I want good for you", is the love for family and friends, and partners say it too, as the everyday tender version. Mi piaci is "I like you".
Japanese: 好きだよ and 愛してる
The textbook translation, 愛してる (aishiteru), is rare in real life: it sounds dramatic, like a line from a song, and many couples go years without saying it. The everyday declaration is 好き (suki, "like" or "love" depending on context), often softened as 好きだよ (suki da yo), or 大好き (daisuki) for "I love you so much". A first confession is often the polite 好きです (suki desu). Japanese couples tend to show affection through care more than through words.
Korean: 사랑해 and 사랑해요
Korean marks the relationship in the verb ending. 사랑해 (saranghae) is the intimate form for a partner; 사랑해요 (saranghaeyo) is polite, used to parents and by couples who speak politely to each other; 사랑합니다 (saranghamnida) is formal, for speeches and audiences. Korean couples say it fairly often. 좋아해 (joahae) is "I like you", and 보고 싶어 (bogo sipeo, "I miss you") does much of the same work.
Portuguese: eu te amo and amo-te
Brazil and Portugal say it differently. In Brazil it is eu te amo or just te amo, said generously, even to close friends. In Portugal the pronoun goes after the verb, amo-te, and it is said more sparingly. "I like you" is gosto de você in most of Brazil and gosto de ti in Portugal. In much of Brazil te sounds like "chee"; in Portugal its vowel almost disappears.
Russian: Я тебя люблю
Я тебя люблю (ya tebya lyublyu) is serious: it is said at real moments, and the first time matters. Word order is flexible, and я люблю тебя is just as correct. The same verb is used for pizza and films, but to a person it is never casual. Ты мне нравишься (ty mne nravishsya) is "I like you", the usual first confession. Between partners it is always the informal тебя; the formal вас belongs to old poetry.
Vietnamese: anh yêu em and em yêu anh
Vietnamese has no neutral "I" and "you": the pronouns come from family words. In a couple of a man and a woman, the man is usually anh (older brother) and the woman em (younger sibling), often regardless of who is older, so he says anh yêu em and she says em yêu anh; same-gender couples usually go by age. Thích is "like" (anh thích em), and thương is a tender, caring love, especially common in the south: anh thương em.
Cultural notes that save awkward moments
- How often is cultural, not personal. If your partner rarely says it, notice how often their parents said it to each other before drawing conclusions.
- The first time is an event in some languages. In Russian, German and Japanese the first declaration is remembered; in English and Brazilian Portuguese it comes sooner and repeats often.
- Family needs the polite or the family form. For parents-in-law, use 사랑해요 rather than 사랑해 in Korean; in Italian vi voglio bene to the whole family is warm and safe, while ti amo is never for them.
- Writing it in their script is noticed. A short message in Hangul, kana or Cyrillic says you made an effort, and a new alphabet is learnable in days, not months.
Learning your partner's language with LinguaPair
Three words are a start; LinguaPair is built for couples who want the rest of the language too. You invite your partner and your two accounts become a pair: each of you follows your own course in short lessons, with the A0 and A1 levels free, and each sees the other's level and streak. Games against each other, such as translation duels and vocabulary races, are built from your words, and the live translator lets you talk in your own languages, on one phone or two, with every line translated as you go. The words from those conversations land in your vocabulary trainer, so the next phrase you learn is one you actually needed. Games and unlimited translation come with Premium, and one subscription covers both of you.
If a wedding is coming, the next step is a toast and vows in your partner's language. For the bigger picture, read how to learn a language with your partner.