Love is a universal feeling that transcends any language barriers, meaning that everybody knows it and can feel it. The words “I love you” are uttered around the world in every language. However, love has different forms and is perceived differently throughout our lives. While there is only one word for “love” in English, some languages acknowledge these different kinds and levels of love.
Below we’ll show you how to say “I love you” in 9 other languages besides English, which are ranked as the top 10 most spoken languages in the world. If you made it to this point in the article, you already got the English version down, so let’s work on the rest!
You’ll never know when it’ll be the next time you would like to say “I love you” in a different language. As they say, love is just around the corner.
All you need is love:
How to say I love you in different languages?
One thing is clear: love is a precious feeling, and being able to express your feelings (romantically or not) to someone in their native language can go straight to their heart. It shows interest, respect, and care. When said in the right way, it can get the person to feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Here are several ways to manifest your love in the most spoken languages in the world. Love might be universal, but “I love you” might not always be.
1. Mandarin Chinese: 我 愛 你 (wô ài nî)
Going around and saying the L-word 「愛」all the time could be considered a very awkward thing to do in Chinese culture. In fact, some Chinese people rarely say this to each other; that includes parents to children. “Wô ài nî” is a powerful phrase to express love, and therefore might come off as too strong. Instead, “I like you”, might be closer to the meaning you’re going for. In this case, you say: “wǒ xǐ huān nǐ.”
Fun fact: 「有 情 飲 水 飽 , 無 情 吃 飯 飢」
(In pinyin: Yǒu-qíng yín-shuǐ-bǎo, wú-qíng shí-fàn-jī)
This Chinese expression is literally translated as “have love, drink water full, without love, eat rice hungry.” It means “with love, water is enough; without it, food won’t satisfy you” and refers to the fulfilling state of being in love.
2. Hindi : मैं तुमसे प्यार कर्ता हुँ (Main tumse pyar karta hoon)
Nearly 425 million people speak Hindi as a first language and around 120 million as a second language. Odds are you might encounter more than one Hindi speaker in your life, and who knows? Maybe the richness of their culture leaves you wondering how to proclaim your feelings in this beautiful language.
“Main tumse pyar karta hoon” (मैं तुमसे प्यार कर्ता हुँ) is the phrase you will need to express affection to a woman, whereas “Main tumse pyar karti hoon” (मैं तुझसे प्यार करती हूं) is the way to express love a man.
Fun fact: Did you know Hindi weddings last 3 days? They’re full of rituals and celebrations, and they usually involve the whole town!
3. Spanish: ¡Te quiero, te adoro, te amo!
Some may say that Spanish speakers can be recognized for their passion and public display of emotions. Spanish speakers don’t just feel passion – they embrace it.
The Spanish words “te amo” are used to express affection in the Spanish language. So these are the words you should go for when you want to wish your partner good night, and say i love you to them. However, Spanish speakers do not use this word lightly, and “te amo” is reserved for grandiose expressions of love. There are other ways to say like, like a lot, or even adore (te adoro), that would sometimes be used before using “te amo”.
Spanish is also a widely spoken language with several variations across countries. Citizens from Spain are more likely to use a softer connotation of the word: “te quiero”. This contextual synonym is used to express just the same degree of love and intimacy. In Spain, using the words “te amo” refers to a forever-kind-of-love.
Fun fact: The popular Spanish expression “ámame cuando menos lo merezca, porque será cuando más lo necesite” translates into “love me when I don’t deserve it, because that’s when I’ll need your love the most.” This expression appeals to the Spanish understanding of love as a forever changing and supportive force.
4. French: Je t’aime, mon coeur!
Paris has not earned its title as the City of Love for no reason. Truth is, French sounds beautiful to the ear. The French words: “je t’aime”, are swoon-worthy and known worldwide. If you compliment them with the expression “mon coeur”, which means, “my heart”, they sound even more beautiful.
The good news with the famous French expression je t’aime, is that it’s widely used not only in France but also in other French-speaking countries such as Canada – or even in the French Caribbean.
Fun fact: The expression “j’ai eu un coup de foudre”, which literally means “I’ve been struck by lightning”, it’s used by the French to refer to love at first sight. However, because we’re all about self-love, our favorite expression is also “aime-toi d’abord!” which means “love yourself first!” in French.
5. Standard Arabic: uHibbuka/uHibbuki!
Over-the-top demonstrations of love are rooted deep within Arab literature. That is why Arabic expressions display strong and epic feelings of love, with a willingness to sacrifice yourself for the people you care about. The words to simply express your love are:
كَ): “(ana) uHibbuka” (to a male)
أنا) أحبكِ): “(ana) uHibbuki” (to a female)
However, there are several stages in Arabic romance, ranging from interest to the insanity caused by loving someone too much. So knowing which kind of love you want to convey will help you find just the right words for it.
Fun fact: Romantic expressions in Arabic can sometimes feel strange to non-native speakers. That can be the case of “raytak tkaffeni”, which means “may you put me in the coffin.”
6. Bengali: Āmi tōmāẏa bhālōbāsi
Most people in Bangladesh still favors arranged marriages, seeing marriage as a union of two families. However, times are changing, and lovers from non-arranged marriages can now hold hands in public without being disturbed.
That’s why if your special one speaks Bangla, there’s hope. Love is a powerful thing in any language. In Bengali, the words you should choose are “Āmi tōmāẏa bhālōbāsi.”
Fun fact: The phrase “Bhalobashar nouka pahaŗ boie jae” ( ভালবাসার নৌকা পাহাড় বইয়ে যায়। ) literally translates to “the boat of affection can ascend mountains” and indicates the faith in a love that can overcome all the obstacles of life.
7. Russian: Я тебя люблю (Ya lyublyu tebya)
If the apple of your eye is from Russia, the most straightforward expression for you to start professing your love in this language is “Ya lyublyu tebya” (Я тебя люблю).
Want to take it up a notch and get that special someone to spend Valentine’s day with you? Then try with “budesh li ty maim Valentinam?” (Будеш ли ты моим Валентином?).
Fun fact: Not all love should be romantic, isn’t that right? That’s why we felt the expression “Materinskaja ljubovʹ bezgranična” (Материнская любовь безгранична), deserved to make it to the list. The literal translation for this would be “maternal love has no limits.”
8. Portuguese: eu te amo/amo-te!
Do you want to live an epic romance in charming Oporto? Have you already met a special someone from beautiful Brazil? Then Portuguese is the language you’ll be needing to let them know how you feel about them.
Native speakers usually don’t shy away from their emotions, not being afraid of public displays. If you, too, want to proclaim your love proudly, “eu te amo” is the way. Very much like in Spanish, other variations are in order, depending on the degree of intimacy you want to convey. Between friends or people who are starting to get to know each other romantically, “eu te adoro” is a good alternative.
With valentine’s day approaching, you might want to (finally!) ask that special someone out. Try this: Você quer ser meu namorado? … and boa sorte! or, good luck!
Fun fact: The beautiful Portuguese saying “amor com amor se paga”, translates into “love should be paid with love.” A beautiful philosophy, don’t you think?
9. Indonesian: ‘aku cinta kamu’!
Finding the right partner in Indonesia can sometimes be considered a family affair. Indonesian families still play an important role in partner selection, taking into consideration the good background of the potential partner based on family wealth, social rank, and ancestry. It’s not news, however, that millennials have cut loose from some previous traditions, and this is also the case in Indonesia.
If you have found someone you want to profess your love for, got for it. In this case, the words you should use are “aku cinta kamu”. Alternatively, if you want to take things slow, you can let the people know you really like them by using the words “aku sangat menyukaimu”.
Fun fact: Family influence in love matters can be clearly observed in language. There is a saying in Indonesia, “Kalau kita menikah, kita juga menikah dengan keluarga” which means “when you marry your girlfriend or boyfriend, you also marry the family”.
10. Tagalog: Mahal kita!
Ever wondered how to say I love you in Tagalog? So have we! That is why we wanted Tagalog to make it to this list.
“Mahal kita” are the words used to convey affection in Tagalog, the language of the Philippines.
If you want to take it up a notch and really express adoration, you can use “mahal na Mahal kita” which means “I love you very much”. Bear in mind, though, that Filipinos don’t use “mahal kita” frivolously. The world “mahal” is reserved for intimate conversations and deep relationships with a special someone, family, or close friends.
Fun fact: the word “mahal” also means “expensive” in Filipino. Filipinos will often joke with word-play about how much their significant other mahal (loves) them, based on how mahal (expensive) are their gifts.
It’s all about the love
One thing is clear: there are as many ways to express love as languages and cultures in the world. Finding the way to say “i love you” in the language of your special someone will make them feel special and appreciated.
In this article, we have covered how to say “i love you” in the most spoken languages in the world, plus in Tagalog! What’s the language you are currently learning? Want to learn how to say “i love you” in Japanese? Let us know which languages you’d like us to cover. Stay tuned for part two!
How can Swap Language help you practice your declaration of love?
Swap Language (SWL) is here to help you break down language barriers. We offer several services and events tailored to your motives, needs, level, and schedule! If you are looking for a language partner to practice your foreign language skills, you can find it on swaplanguage.com. Who knows, maybe you’ll get to meet new friends or that special someone.
