Love Words in German

By Lachlan McRitchie

Updated July 6, 2026

The essential German love words are Ich liebe dich (I love you), die Liebe (love), das Herz (heart), and der Kuss (kiss). You will hear them across German romance and drama.

GermanEnglish
Ich liebe dichI love you
die Liebelove
das Herzheart
der Kusskiss
der Schatzsweetheartliterally: treasure
verliebtin love
der Freund / die Freundinboyfriend / girlfriend
küssento kiss
die Umarmunghug
der Lieblingdarling

Want these to stick? Hear them in real context: LingoBinge surfaces words like these while you watch German shows on Netflix, and saves them for spaced review.

Hear them in: How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast), Barbarians.

Frequently asked questions

How do you say I love you in German?
I love you is Ich liebe dich. For warm affection short of romance, Germans often say Ich hab dich lieb. A common term of endearment is Schatz, literally treasure.

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