"I Love You" in almost 200 Languages

Bill Brown ... Xiamen University
When I met Susan Marie, I could say "I love you" in 27 languages, but now I've forgotten most, which is sad, because after so many years with her, I should know more ways to say this most necessary of phrases. So from www.phrasebase.com , here is how to say "I love you" in every language from Arabic and Chinese (我爱你) to Vulcan! (I'll leave out McDonald's 'I'm lovin' it,' because I doubt they really do).

Afrikaans : Ek is lief vir jou
: Ek het jou lief
Akan (Ghana) : Me dor wo
Albanian : Te dua
: Te dashuroj
: Ti je zemra ime
Alentejano(Port.) : Gosto de ti, porra!
Alsacien (Elsass) : Ich hoan dich gear
Amharic (Aethio.) : Afekrishalehou
: Afekrischalehou
: Ewedishalehu (male/female to female)
: Ewedihalehu (male/female to male)
Apache : Sheth she~n zho~n (nasalized vowels like French, '~n' as in French 'salon')
Arabic (formal) : Ohiboke (male to female)
: Ohiboki (male to female)
: Ohibokoma (male or female to two males or two females)
: Nohiboke (more than one male or females to female)
: Nohiboka (male to male or female to male)
: Nohibokoma (male to male or female to two males or two females)
: Nohibokom (male to male or female to more than two males)
: Nohibokon (male to male or female to more than two females)
Arabic (proper) : Ooheboki (male to female)
: Ooheboka (female to male)
Arabic : Ana behibak (female to male)
: Ana behibek (male to female)
: Ahebich (male to female) : Ahebik (female to male)
: Ana ahebik
: Ib'n hebbak
: Ana ba-heb-bak
: Bahibak (female to male)
: Bahibik (male to female)
: Benhibak (more than one male or female to male)
: Benhibik (male to male or female to female)
: Benhibkom (male to male or female to more than one male)
: Nhebuk (spoken to someone of importance)
Arabic (Umggs.) : Ana hebbek Armenian
: Yes kez si'rumem
Assamese(Indien) : Moi tomak bhal pau
Basque
: Nere maitea (means: my love)
: Maite zaitut (means: I love you)
Bassa : Mengweswe
Batak (Nordsumatra) : Holong rohangku di ho
Bavarian : I mog di narrisch gern
: I mog di (right answer: i di a)
Bemba : Ndikufuna
Bengali : Aami tomaake bhaalo baashi
: Ami tomay bhalobashi
: Ami tomake bahlobashi
: Ami tomake walobashi
: Ami tomake vhalobashi
Berber
: Lakh tirikh
Bicol (Philippinen) : Namumutan ta ka
Bolivian Quechua : Qanta munani
Bosnian : Volim te
Braille : :..:| ..:| |..-.. .::":.., :.:;
Brazilian/Portuguese : Eu te amo (pronounced 'eiu chee amu')
: Amo-te
Bulgarian : Obicham te
: As te obicham
: Obozhavam te ("I love you very much")
Burmese : Chit pa de
Cambodian : Kh_nhaum soro_lahn nhee_ah
: Bon sro lanh oon
Canadian French : Sh'teme (spoken, sounds like this)
: Je t'aime ("I like you")
: Je t'adore ("I love you")
Catalan : T'estimo (Catalonian)
: T'estim (Mallorcan)
: T'estime (Valencian)
: T'estim molt ("I love you a lot")
Cebuano (Philippi.) : Gihigugma ko ikaw.
Chamoru (or Chamorro) : Hu guaiya hao
Cheyenne : Ne mohotatse
Chichewa : Ndimakukonda
Chickasaw (USA) : Chiholloli (first 'i' nasalized)
Chinese : Goa ai li (Amoy dialect)
: Ngo oi ney (Cantonese dialect)
: Wo oi ni (Cantonese dialect)
: Ngai oi gnee (Hakka dialect)
: Ngai on ni (Hakka dialect)
: Wa ai lu (Hokkien dialect)
: Wo ai ni (Mandarin dialect)
: Wo ie ni (Mandarin dialect)
: Wuo ai nee (Mandarin dialect)
: Wo ay ni (Mandarin dialect)
: Wo ai ni (Putunghua dialect)
: Ngo ai nong (Wu dialect)

Corsican : Ti tengu cara (male to female)
: Ti tengu caru (female to male)
Creol : Mi aime jou
Croatian (familiar) : Ja te volim (used in proper speech)
: Volim te (used in common speech)
Croatian (formal) : Ja vas volim (used in proper speech)
: Volim vas (used in common speech)
: Ljubim te (in todays useage, "I kiss you", 'lj' pronounced like 'll' in Spanish, one sound, 'ly'ish)
Croatian (old) : Ljubim te (may still be found in poetry)
Czech
: Miluji te (a downwards pointing arrowhead on top of the 'e' in te, which is pronounced 'ye')
: Miluju te! (colloquial form)
: Mám te (velmi) rád (male speaker, "I like you (very much)", often used and prefered)
: Mám te (velmi) ráda (female speaker)
Danish : Jeg elsker dig
Dusun : Siuhang oku dia
Dutch : Ik hou van je
: Ik hou van jou
: Ik bemin je (old fashioned)
: Ik bemin jou (old fashioned)
: Ik ben verliefd op je
: Ik ben verliefd op jou
: Ik zie je graag
: Ik hol van die (Gronings a Hollands dialect)
Ecuador Quechua : Canda munani
English : I love you
: I adore you
: I love thee (used only in Christian context)
Esperanto : Mi amas vin
Estonian : Mina armastan sind
Ethiopian : Afgreki' (one of the Ethipians dialects, there are over 80 - see also under "Amharic")
Farsi (old) : Tora dust mi daram
Farsi : Tora dost daram ("I love you")
: Asheghetam
: Doostat daram ("I'm in love with you")
: Man asheghetam ("I'm in love with you")
Filipino : Mahal ka ta : Iniibig kita
Finnish (formal) : Minä rakastan sinua
: Rakastan sinua
: Minä pidän sinusta ("I like you")
Finnish : (Mä) rakastan sua
: (Mä) tykkään susta ("I like you")
French (formal) : Je vous aime
French : Je t'aime ("I love you")
: Je t'adore ("I love you", stronger meaning between lovers)
: J' t'aime bien ("I like you", meant for friends and family, not for lovers)
Friesian : Ik hou fan dei (sp?)
: Ik hald fan dei
Gaelic : Ta gra agam ort
: Moo graugh hoo
Ghanaian (Akan, Twi) : Me dor wo.
German (formal) : Ich liebe Sie (rarely used)
German : Ich liebe dich : Ich hab dich lieb (not so classic and conservative)
Greek : S'ayapo (spoken "s'agapo", 3rd letter is lower case 'gamma') : Eime eroteumenos mazi sou ("I'm in love with) : Eime eroteumenos me 'sena(you", male to female) : Eime eroteumeni mazi sou ("I'm in love with) : Eime eroteumeni me 'sena (you", female to male) : Se latrevo ("I adore you") : Se thelo ("I want you", denotes sexual desire)
Greek (old) : (Ego) Philo su ('ego', for emphasis) Greek (Arhea/Ancient) : Philo se
Greenlandic : Asavakit
Guarani' : Rohiyu (ro-hai'-hyu)
Gujrati (Pakistan) : Hoon tane pyar karoochhoon. : Hoon tuney chaoon chhoon ('n' is nasal, not pronounced)
Hausa (Nigeria) : Ina sonki
Hawaiian : Aloha wau ia 'oe : Aloha wau ia 'oe nui loa ("I love you very much")
Hebrew : Anee ohev otakh (male to female)
: Anee ohevet otkha (female to male)
: Anee ohev otkha (male to male)
: Anee ohevet otakh (female to female) ('kh' pronounced like Spanish 'j', Dutch 'g', or similiar to French 'r')
Hindi : Mai tumase pyar karata hun (male to female)
: Mai tumase pyar karati hun (female to male)
: Mai tumse pyar karta hoon
: Mai tumse peyar karta hnu
: Mai tumse pyar karta hoo
: Mai tujhe pyaar kartha hoo
: Mae tumko peyar kia
: Main tumse pyar karta hoon
: Main tumse prem karta hoon
: Main tuze pyar karta hoon ('n' is nasal, not pronounced)
Hokkien : Wa ai lu
Hopi : Nu'umi unangwáta
Hungarian : Szeretlek
: Te'ged szeretlek ("The one I love is you:)
: Szeretlek te'ged ("It's you I love, you know, you", a reinforcement) (The above two entries are never heard in a normal context.)
Ibaloi (Phil.) : Pip-piyan taha Pipiyan ta han shili (I like/love you very much)
Interglossa : Mi esthe philo tu.
Icelandic : Eg elska thig (pronounced 'yeg l-ska thig')
Ilocano : Ay-ayaten ka
Indonesian : Saya cinta padamu ('Saya', commonly used)
: Saya cinta kamu ('Saya', commonly used)
: Saya kasih saudari ('Saya', commonly used)
: Saja kasih saudari ('Saya', commonly used)
: Aku tjinta padamu ('Aku', not often used) (tjinta is the old written version influenced by Netherlands)
: Aku cinta padamu ('Aku', not often used)
: Aku cinta kamu ('Aku', not often used) (cinta is the modern written version since 1972; same for saya and saja)
Italian : Ti amo (relationship/lover/spouse)
: Ti voglio bene (between friends)
: Ti voglio (strong sexual meaning, "I want you" referred to the other person's body)
Irish : Taim i' ngra leat
Irish-Gaelic : t'a gr'a agam dhuit
Japanese : Kimi o ai shiteru
: Aishiteru
: Chuu shiteyo
: Ora omee no koto ga suki da
: Ore wa omae ga suki da
: Suitonnen : Sukiyanen
: Sukiyo
: Watashi wa anata ga suki desu
: Watashi wa anata wo aishithe imasu
: Watashi wa anata o aishitemasu
: A-i-shi-te ma-su
: Watakushi-wa anata-wo ai shimasu
: Suki desu (used at the first time, like for a start, when you are not yet real lovers)
Javanese : Kulo tresno
Kankana-ey (Phil.) : Laylaydek sik-a
Kannada (Indien) : Naanu Ninnanu Preethisuthene Naanu Ninnanu Mohisuthene
Kikongo : Mono ke zola nge (mono ke' zola nge')
Kiswahili : Nakupenda : Nakupenda wewe
: Nakupenda malaika ("I love you, (my) angel")
Klingon : bangwI' SoH ("You are my beloved")
: qamuSHá ("I love you")
: qamuSHáqu' ("I love you very much")
: qaparHá ("I like you")
: qaparHáqu' ("I like you very much!") (words are often unnecessary as the thought is most often conveyed nonverbally with special growlings)
Korean : Dangsinul saranghee yo ("I love you, dear")
: Saranghee
: Nanun dangsineul joahapnida ("I like you")
: Nanun dangsineul mucheog joahapnida ("I like you very much")
: Nanun dangsineul saranghapnida
: Nanun dangsineul mucheog saranghapnida ("I love you very much")
: Nanun gdaega joa ("I like him" or "I like her")
: Nanun gdaereul saranghapnida ("I love him" or "I love her")
: Nanun neoreul saranghanda
: Gdaereul hjanghan naemaeum alji (You know how much I love him/her.) : Joahaeyo ("I like you")
: Saranghaeyo (more formal)
: Saranghapanida (more respectful)
: Norul sarang hae (male to female in casual relationship)
: Tangsinul sarang ha yo
: Tangshin-ul sarang hae-yo
: Tangshin-i cho-a-yo ("I like you, in a romantic way")
: Nanun tangshinul sarang hamnida
Kpele : I walikana
Kurdish : Ez te hezdikhem : Min te xushvet
: Min te xoshwet (Southern dialect)
Lao : Khoi hak jao : Khoi hak chao
: Khoi mak jao lai ("I like you very much")
: Khoi hak jao lai ("I love you very much")
: Khoi mak jao (This means "I prefer you", but is used for "I love you".)
Latin : Te amo
: Vos amo
Latin (old) : (Ego) Amo te ('Ego', for emphasis)
Latvian : Es tevi milu (pronounced 'es tevy meelu') ('i in 'milu' has a line over it, a 'long i')
: Es milu tevi (less common)
Lebanese : Bahibak
Lingala : Nalingi yo
Lisbon lingo : Gramo-te bue', chavalinha!
Lithuanian : Tave myliu (Ta-ve mee-lyu)
: Ash mir lutavah
Lojban : Mi do prami
Luo (Kenia) : Aheri
Luxembourgish : Ech hun dech gär
Maa : Ilolenge
Macedonian : Te sakam (a little stronger than "I like you")
: Te ljubam ("I really love you")
: Jas te sakam ('j' sounds like 'y' in May)
: Pozdrav ("Greetings")
Madrid lingo : Me molas, tronca!
Maiese : Wa wa
Malay : Saya cintamu
: Saya sayangmu
: Saya sayang anda
: Saya cintakan mu (grammatically correct)
: Saya sayangkan mu ( " )
: Saya chantikan awak
: Aku sayang kau
Malay/Bahasa : Saya cinta mu
Malay/Indonesian : Aku sayang kau
: Saya cantikan awak
: Saya sayangkan engkau
: Saya cintakan awak
: Aku cinta pada kau
: Aku cinta pada mu
: Saya cinta pada mu
: Saya sayangkan engkau ('engkau' often shortened to 'kau', 'engkau' is informal form and should only be used if you know the person _really_ well)
Malayalam : Ngan ninne snaehikkunnu
: Njyaan ninne' preetikyunnu
: Njyaan ninne' mohikyunnu
Malaysian : Saya cintamu
: Saya sayangmu
: Saya cinta kamu
Marathi : Mi tuzya var prem karato
: Me tujhashi prem karto (male to female)
: Me tujhashi prem karte (female to male)
Marshallese : Yokwe Yuk (sort of multi-purpose, like Aloha, literally Love to you, my friend)
Mohawk : Konoronhkwa
Mokilese : Ngoah mweoku kaua
Mongolian : Be Chamad Hairtai (very personal)
Moroccan : Kanbhik (both mean the same, but spoken)
: Kanhebek (in different cities)
Navajo : Ayor anosh'ni
Ndebele (Zimbabwe) : Niyakutanda
Nepali : Ma timi sita prem garchhu (romantic)
: Ma timilai maya garchhu (less emphatic, can be used in a non romantic conext, too)
Norwegian : Jeg elsker deg (Bokmaal)
: Eg elskar deg (Nynorsk)
: Jeg elsker deg (Riksmaal: outdated, formerly used by upper-class and conservative people)
Nyanja : Ninatemba
Op : Op lopveop yopuop
Oromoo : Sinjaladha
: Sinjaldha
Osetian : Aez dae warzyn
Pakistani : Mujhe tumse muhabbat hai
: Muje se mu habbat hai
Papiamento : Mi ta stimábo
Pedi (related to Tswana) : Kiyahurata. (pronounced as: Kee-ya--hoo-rata)
Pig Latin : Ie ovele ouye (pronounced as: I-ay ov-lay u-yay.)
Pilipino : Mahal kita
: Iniibig kita
Polish : Kocham cie ("cie" is slangy polish and not commonly used)
: Kocham ciebie
: Ja cie kocham
Portuguese/Brazilian : Eu te amo (pronounced 'eiu chee amu')
: Amo-te
Punjabi (Indien) : Main tainu pyar karna
: Mai taunu pyar Karda
: Main teri fudi marni chauda ha.
: Mera lun ik huth lamba hai.
: Par fudi chari de vich marni hai.
Quenya(J.R. Tolkie) : Tye-meláne
raetoromanisch : te amo
Romanian : Te iubesc
: Te ador (stronger)
Russian : Ya vas lyublyu (old fashioned)
: Ya tyebya lyublyu (best)
: Ya lyublyu vas (old fashioned)
: Ya lyublyu tyebya
Samoan : Ou te alofa outou. : Ou te alofa ia te oe. : Talo'fa ia te oe. ("Hello, from me to you") : Fia moi? ("Would you like to go to bed with me tonight?")
Sanskrit : Anurag (a higher love, like the love of music or art)
Scot-Gaelic : Tha gr`adh agam ort
Serbian (formal) : Ja vas volim (used in proper speech)
: Volim vas (used in common speech)
: Ljubim te (in todays useage, "I kiss you", 'lj' pronounced like 'll' in Spanish, one sound, 'ly'ish)
Serbian (familiar) : Ja te volim (used in proper speech)
: Volim te (used in common speech)
Serbian (old) : Ljubim te (may still be found in poetry)
Serbocroatian : Volim te
: Ljubim te
: Ja te volim ('j' sounds like 'y' in May)
SeSotho : Kiyahurata. (pronounced as: Kee-ya--hoo-rata)
Shona : Ndinokuda
Singhalese (Ceylon) : Mama oyata adarei
: Mama oyaata aadareyi
Sioux : Techihhila
Slovak : Lubim ta
Slovene : Ljubim te
Spanish : Te amo : Te quiero
: Te adoro (I adore you)
: Te deseo (I desire you)
: Me antoj้s (I crave you)
Srilankan : Mama oyata arderyi
Suaheli (Ostafrika) : Ninikupenda
Swahili : Nakupenda
: Naku penda (followed by the person's name)
: Ninikupenda : Dholu'o
Swedish : Jag älskar dig. (pronounced: "Yag alskar day")
Syrian/Lebanese : Bhebbek (male to female)
: Bhebbak (female to male)
Tagalog : Mahal kita
Tahitian : Ua Here Vau Ia Oe
: Ua here vau ia oe
Tamil : Naan unnai kadalikiren
: Nan unnai kathalikaren
: Ni yaanai kaadli karen ("You love me")
: N^an unnaki kathalikkinren ("I love you") : Nam vi'rmberem
Telugu (Indien) : Neenu ninnu prámistu'nnanu
: Nenu ninnu premistunnanu
: Ninnu premistunnanu
Thai (formal) : Phom rak khun (male to female)
: Ch'an rak khun (female to male)
: Phom-ruk-koon (male to female)
: Chun-ruk-koon (female to male)
Thai : Khao raak thoe (affectionate, sweet, loving)
Tswana : Ke a go rata
Tshiluba : Ndi mukusua (I love you)
: Ndi musua wewe (I want you)
: Ndi ne ditalala bua wewe (I have love for you)
Tunisian : Ha eh bak
Tumbuka : Nkhukutemwa
Turkish (formal) : Sizi seviyorum
Turkish : Seni seviyorum
: Seni begeniyorum ("I adore you") (g has a bar on it)
Twi (Ghana) : Me dowapaa
: Me dor wo
Ukrainian : Ya tebe kokhayu
: Ja tebe kokhaju (real true love)
: Ja vas kokhaju
: Ja pokokhav tebe
: Ja pokokhav vas
Urdu(Indien) : Main tumse muhabbat karta hoon
: Mujhe tumse mohabbat hai : Mujge tumae mahabbat hai
: Kam prem kartahai
Vai : Na lia
Vไrmlไndska : Du är görgo te mäg
Vietnamese : Anh yeu em (male to female)
: Em yeu anh (female to male)
: Toi yeu em
Volapük : Löfob oli.
Vulcan (Mr.Spock) : Wani ra yana ro aisha
Walloon : Dji vos veu volti (lit. I like to see you)
: Dji vos inme (lit. I love you)
: Dji v'zinme
Welsh : Rwy'n dy garu di.
: Yr wyf i yn dy garu di (chwi)
Wolof : Da ma la nope
: Da ma la nop (da málanop)
Yiddish : Kh'hob dikh lib
: Kh'ob dikh holt
: Ikh bin in dir farlibt
Yucatec Maya : 'in k'aatech (the love of lovers)
: 'in yabitmech (the love of family, which lovers can also feel; it indicates more a desire to spoil and protect the other person)
Yugoslavian : Ja te volim
Zazi (kurdisch) : Ezhele hezdege (sp?)
Zulu : Mina Ngithanda Wena. (rarely used; means: "Me, I love you.")
: Ngiyakuthanda (pronounced as: NGee-ya--koo--tanda)
Zuni : Tom ho'ichema
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