Love is international, so here are more than 400 ways to say that one, all important, phrase: I love you. From the Eskimo language of Aleut (fewer than 300 speakers left) to Zulu (tens of millions of speakers but a small internet footprint), this collection shows the richness and diversity of human communication – and why it’s important to preserve our languages. After all, what more basic human need could there be, than to be able to say “I love you” and be understood?
Crowd-Sourcing “I Love You” in Different Languages
Many sources came together to create what I believe is the world’s most extensive crowd-sourced collection:
- the LexWorks/Lexcelera translators, post-editors and international staff
- our partner translation companies in Eulogia
- Translators without Borders (TWB), a non-profit founded by Lexcelera
- the fine young translators working out of the TWB Centre in Nairobi, Kenya
- the African Languages Group on Facebook
- internet lists
- ProZ.com.
Not all the languages below are real languages. Some are invented: including two Elvish languages from J.R.R. Tolkien and one angel dialect.
This is a work in progress. Discrepancies in spelling may be due to a lack of standardization, or an alternate system of transliteration. Or it could, quite simply, be an error. Leave your comments below if you have corrections to suggest, or language translations you would like to add. If you’re interested in knowing more about the languages themselves, each name links to a Wikipedia page.
| Language | Translation of I Love You |
| Abé | Mon ko lo fon |
| Abure | U’m wloloho |
| Aembu (or Embu) | Ningwendete |
| Afar | Ko kiciyoh |
| Afrikaans | Ek het jou lief |
| Albanian | Të dua |
| Aleut | Txin Yaktakuq |
| Alsation | Ich hoan dich gear |
| Alutiiq (or Sugpiaq) | Nakɫekamken |
| Amharic | Ewedishalehu — እወድሻለሁ/አፈቅርሻለሁ (to a female) Ewedihalehu — እወድሃለሁ/አፈቅርሃለሁ (to a male) |
| Apache | Sheth shen zhon |
| Arabic (Egyptian) |
Ana baħibbak – ٲنَا بحِبَّك (to a male) / Ana baħibbik – ٲنَا بَحِبِّك (to a female) |
| Arabic (Standard or Literary) |
Ouhibouka — أُحِبُّكَ (to a male) / Ouhibouki — أُحِبُّكِ (to a female) |
| Arabic (Moroccan) |
Uḥibbuk – أحبك |
| Arabic (Syrian) |
Bəḥibbək – بحبك |
| Arabic (Chadian) | Ni ridiki |
| Arabic (Tunisian) | Nhebbik |
| Aragonese | T’amo |
| Armenian | Yes kez siroum em – Ես Քեզ սիրում եմ |
| Aromanian | Ti voi |
| Assamese | Moi tumak bhaal pau – মই েতামাক(আেপানাক) ভালপাওঁ |
| Assyrian | Ono grohamno lakh (to a female) / Ono grohamno lokh (to a male) |
| Asturian | Quiérote |
| Atikamekw | Ki sakihitin |
| Attié | Min bou la yé |
| Avallaen (constructed language) | Vüväloiek dü quuo |
| Azeri | Men seni sevirem |
| Bassa | Mengweswe |
| Bambara | Né bi fè |
| Baoule | mi klôa |
| Bashkir | Min khine yaratau – мин хинэ яратау |
| Basque | Maite zaitut |
| Bassa | Me gwes wè |
| Batak | Holong rohangku di ho |
| Belarusian | Ya tabe kahayu |
| Bemba | Ndikufuna |
| Bengali | Ami tomake bhalo bashi – আমি তোমাকে ভালো বাসী |
| Berber | Hamlagh-kem (to a female) / Hamlagh-k (to a male) |
| Bergamasco | Ta ole be |
| Betazed (Star Trek dialect) | Imzadi |
| Bhojpuri | Ham tose pyār karila – हम तोसे प्यार करीला |
| Bicol | Namumutan ta ka |
| Binary (computer dialect) | 011010010010000001101100011011110111011001100101 00100000011110010110111101110101 |
| Bisaya | Nahigugma ako kanimo |
| Bobo | Ma kia bé nà |
| Borana | Anin sijalad |
| Bosnian | Volim te |
| Braille | :..:| ..:| |..-.. .::”:.., :.:; |
| Breton | Karout a ran ac’hanout or Da garan or Da garout a ran |
| Buganda | Nkwaagala |
| Bukusu & Kinyala (Ndombi) (Luhya dialects) | Nakhusima or Ndakhukhera |
| Bulgarian | Običam te – Обичам те |
| Bunyore, Tsotso & Khisa (Nyole) (Luhya dialects) | Ndakhuyanza |
| Burmese | Chit pa de |
| Bushinenge Tongo (Ndyuka) | Mi lobi you |
| Cajun | Mi aime jou |
| Calabrese | Ti vogliu beni |
| Cambodian or Khmer | Soro lahn nhee ah |
| Catalan | T’estimo |
| Cebuano | Gihigugma ko ikaw |
| Cham | Ai ranam dai (to a female) / Dai ranam ai (to a male) |
| Chamoru | Hu guaiya hao |
| Chanchal | Tere bina main ji nahi pauga |
| Chechen | Sun ho ez (to a female) / Sun ho vez (to a male) |
| Cherokee | Gvgeyui – ᎬᎨᏳᎢ |
| Cheyenne | Ne mohotatse |
| Chichewa | Ndimakukonda |
| Chickasaw | Ngo oiy ney a |
| Chinese (Cantonese or Traditional Chinese) | Ngo oiy ney – 我愛你 |
| Chinese (Mandarin or Simplifed Chinese) | Wo ai ni – 我爱你 |
| Chinese (Amoy dialect) | Gwa ai li |
| Chinese (Wu dialect) | Ngo ai nong |
| Ch’ti | J’t'aquiers |
| Chuukese | Ai tong ngonuk |
| Cimbrian | Ich liibe-dich |
| Comanche | U kamakutu nu |
| Cornish | My a’th kar |
| Corsican | Ti tengu caru (to a male) / Ti tengu cara (to a female) |
| Cree | Kisakihitin |
| Creole | Mi aime jou |
| Crimean Tatar | Men Seni süyemen мен сени севем |
| Croatian | Volim te |
| Czech | Miluji tě |
| Dakota | Chantechiciya |
| Danish | Jeg elsker dig |
| Dari (Persian dialect) | Male tu ra dost darom |
| Dinka | Yin nhier |
| Dioula | M’bi fê |
| Douala | Na tondi wa |
| Drehu (lifou) | Eni a hnimi eö |
| Dungan (Gansu dialect) | Veh ai ni – Вә э ни |
| Dungan (Shaanxi dialect) | Ngeh ai ni – Ңə э ни |
| Dusun | Siuhang oku dia |
| Dutch | Ik hou van jou |
| Dzongkha | Nga cheu lu ga |
| Efik | Mma fi |
| Elvish (constructed by J.R.R. Tolkien) | Amin mela lle |
| English | I love you |
| Enochian (angelic dialect) | Olani hoath ol |
| Esperanto | Mi amas vin |
| Estonian | Ma armastan sind |
| Eton | Me te wa ding |
| Ewe | Me lonwo |
| Ewondo | Ma ding wa |
| Fang | Ma dzing wa |
| Faroese | Eg elski teg |
| Farsi or Persian | Doset daram |
| Fijian | au lomalei iko |
| Finnish | Minä rakastan sinua |
| Flemish (Western) | ‘k zien je geeren |
| Fon | Un nyi wan nu we |
| French | Je t’aime |
| Frisian (North) | Ik hääw de liif |
| Frisian (Saterland) | Iek hääb die ljoo |
| Frisian (West) | Ik hâld fan dy |
| Friulan | O ti vuei ben |
| Fula | Mido yidouma |
| Furlan | Ti ami |
| Ga | Me sumar bho |
| Gaelic | Ta gra agam ort |
| Galician | Quérote |
| Gallo | J’sea un diot do tae |
| Gbaya | Mi ko me |
| Georgian | Me shen miqvarkhar – მიყვარხარ |
| German | Ich liebe dich |
| German (Bavarian dialect) | I mog di |
| German (Frisian dialect) | Ik hou fan dei |
| German (Hessian dialect) | Isch habb disch libb |
| German (Ostfriesland dialect) | Ick heb di leev |
| German (Low Saxon dialect) | Isch liebdsch |
| German (Swabian dialect) | I mog di ganz arg |
| German (Swiss German dialect) | I liäbe di |
| Greek | S’agapo – Σ’ αγαπώ |
| Greek, Ancient | Philo se |
| Greenlandic | Asavakkit |
| Gronings | Ik hol van die |
| Guarani | Rohiyu |
| Gujarati | Hun tane prem karun chhun – હું તને પ્રેમ કરુ છું |
| Haitian creole | Mwen renmen’w |
| Hakka | Ngai oi nyi |
| Hausa | Ina sonki (to a female) / Ina sonka (to a male) |
| Hawaiian | Aloha Au Ia`oe |
| Hebrew | Ani ohev otach –אני אוהב אותך (to a female) / Ani ohevet otcha – אני אוהבת אותך (to a male) |
| Hiligaynon | Guina higugma ko ikaw |
| Hindi | maiṅ tumse pyār kartī hūṅ– मैं तुमसे प्यार (to a female / maiṅ tumse pyār kartā hūṅ – करता/ करती हूँ (to a male) |
| Hmong | Kuv hlub koj |
| Hokkien | Wa ai lu |
| Hopi | Nu’ umi unangwa’ta |
| Hungarian | Szeretlek |
| Ibaloi | Pip-piyan tana |
| Ibaloi | Pip-piyan taha |
| Iban | Aku sayau nuan |
| Ibibio | Mmu ma fien |
| Ibo | A hurum gi nanya |
| Icelandic | Ég elska þig |
| Idakho (Luhya dialect) | Nakhuyanza |
| Igbo | A huru m gi n’anya |
| Iloko | Ayayatenka |
| Ilocano | Ay-ayaten ka |
| Ilonggo | Palangga ko ikaw |
| Indonesian – Bahasa (informal) | aku cinta kamu |
| Indonesian – Bahasa (poetic) | Saya cinta padamu |
| Interglossa (constructed language) | Mi esthe philo tu |
| Inuit | Negligevapse |
| Inuktitut (Eastern) | Nagligivagit – ᓇᒡᓕᒋᕙᒋᑦ |
| Inuktitut (Western) | Takuksugusugivagit |
| Iñupiaq | Nakuagigikpin |
| Inuvialuktun | Piqpagiyagit |
| Inuvialuktun (West Iinukitun) | Nagligivagit |
| Irish gaelic | Gráím thú |
| Italian | Ti amo |
| Jakhanke | N’gné kanou |
| Japanese | Anata ga suki desu – あなたが好きです |
| Javanese (informal) | Aku tresno kowe |
| Javanese (literary) | Aku tresno marang sliramu |
| Jèrriais | J’t'aime |
| Kabylian | Hamlagh-kem (to a female) / Hamlaghk (to a male) |
| Kamba | Ningwendete |
| Kankana-ey | Laylaydek sik a |
| Kannada | Naanu ninna preetisuttene – ನಾನು ನಿನ್ನನ್ನು ಪ್ರೀತಿಸುತ್ತೇನೆ |
| Kapampangan | Kaluguran daka |
| Kashmiri | meh chi chain maai |
| Kazakh | Myen syeni sooyom – Мен сені жаксы коремін |
| Kekchi | Nactinra |
| Khmer | Bang srolaïgn ôn – បងស្រលាញ់អូន (to a female) / Ôn srolaïgn bang – អូនស្រលាញ់បង (to a male) |
| Kikongo | Mono ke’ zola nge’ |
| Kikuyu | Ningwendete |
| Kilubaka | Ami nkuswele |
| Kinyarwanda | Ndagukunda |
| Kipsigis, Nandi, Tugen, Sabaoti & Keiyo (Kalenjin dialects) | Achamin |
| Kirghiz | Men seni sueum |
| Kirundi | Ndagukunda |
| Kisii | Nin’ gwachete |
| Klallam | Nəsƛ̕éʔ cxʷ |
| Klamath | Moo ?ams ni stinta |
| Klingon (constructed, Star Trek) | qamuSHa´ |
| Konianke | I diany gnè |
| Konkani | Tu magel moga cho |
| Korean | Saranghaeyo –사랑해요 |
| Kosraean | Nga lungse kom |
| Kpele | I walikana |
| Kulango | Mi koriou |
| Kurdish | Ez te hez dikim |
| Kyrgyz | Men seni syuem |
| Ladino/Ladin (Dolomites): |
Te ei gen – טי אמו |
| Lahu | Nga naw hta ha ja |
| Lakota or Teton Sioux | Thečhíȟila |
| Lao | Khoi huk chau |
| Lappish | Malene datneme eahtsam |
| Latin | Te amo |
| Latvian | Es mīlu tevi |
| Lebanese | Bahibak |
| Ligurian | Te véuggio bén |
| Limburgish | Ik hald van dich |
| Lingala | Na lingi yo |
| Lithuanian | Aš tave myliu |
| Lojban | Mi do prami |
| Lombard | Te ami |
| Low saxon | Ik hou van ju |
| Luganda | Nkwagala |
| Luhya | Ndakhuyanza |
| Luo | Aheri |
| Lusoga | Nkwendha |
| Luxembourgish | Ech hun dech gäer |
| Maasai | Kanyor nanu |
| Macedonian (formal) | Ve sakam – Ве сакам |
| Macedonian (informal) | Te Sakam – Те сакам |
| Maithili | Hawm ahāṃ se prem karechi – हम अहाँ स प्रेम करेछी |
| Malagasy | Tia anao aho |
| Malay | Aku cinta padamu |
| Malayalam | Njan Ninne Premikunnu – ഞന നിണെ പ്രെമികുണു |
| Maltese | Inhobbok |
| Manchu | Bi shimbe hairambi |
| Manipuri | Ei nang-bu nung-si |
| Manjack | Ma ngal o |
| Manx | Ta graih aym ort |
| Māori | E aroha ana ahau ki a koe |
| Mapudungun | Inchepoyeneimi |
| Markweta (Kalenjin dialect) | Achamineny |
| Marathi | Me tula prem karto – माझ तुइयावर प्रेम आहे |
| Marquesan | Hinenao au ia oe |
| Marshallese | Yokwe yuk |
| Martinican (creole) | Mwen enmen’w |
| Mauritian creole | Mo konten twa |
| Mayan | ‘In k’aatech |
| Mazanderani | Tere del devesteme |
| Mbama | Bènan ndjala wè |
| Mbo | Mi ding wo |
| Mbouda | Meng ne nkoung ô |
| Medumba | Me ko ou |
| Meru | Ninkwendete |
| Mi’kmaq | Kesalul |
| Mina | Un lon o |
| Mixtec (Alcozauca) | Ku toulló ñeloosí |
| Mizo | Ka hmalegaih che |
| Modenese | A-t vói bèin |
| Mohawk | Kanbhik |
| Mokilese | Ngoah mweoku kaua |
| Moldovan | Te iubesc |
| Mongolian | Bi chamd khairtai – Би чамд хайртай |
| Montagnais | Tshemenuadeden |
| Montenegrin | Volim te – Волим те |
| Moré | Mam nong-a fo |
| Moroccan | Tanbghik تنبغيك |
| Morse code (in English) | .. .-.. — …- . -.– — ..- |
| Munukutuba | Mu zola ngé |
| Myanmar | Nga nint ko chit dae |
| Myene | Mi tonda wè |
| Nahuatl | Ni mits neki |
| Napoletano | Te voglio bene |
| Navajo | Ayóó ánííníshí |
| Na’vi (constructed, Avatar) | Oe tìyawn ngenga nìftxavang |
| Ndebele (Northern) | Ngiyakuthanda |
| Ndebele (Southern) | Ngiyakuthanda |
| Nepali | Ma tapainlai maya garchu – म तपाइलाइ माया गर्छु। |
| Norman | Jè t’anor |
| Norwegian Bokmål | Jeg elsker deg |
| Norwegian Nynorsk | Eg elskar deg |
| Novial | Me ama vu |
| Nuer | Han nhok han ji |
| Nunavik (Inuktitut) | Ungagivagit |
| Nupe | Miye wawe |
| Nyanja | Ninatemba |
| Occitan | T’aimi |
| Okinawan | Shichusaa – 好ちゅさ |
| Old English (Northumbrian) | Ic lufie þec |
| Old English (West Saxon) | Ic lufie þe |
| Oriya | Mu tumoku bhala paye |
| Oromo | Ani sin jaladha |
| Ossetian | Æž dæ waržyn – æз дæ уарзын |
| Otomi (Mezquital) | Hmädi |
| Pakistani | Mujhe Tumse Muhabbat Hai |
| Palauan | A Kultoir er Kau |
| Pandacan | Syota na kita |
| Pangasinan | Inaru Taka |
| Papiamentu | Mi ta stima bo |
| Pashto |
Ta sara meena kowm – زه ستا سره مينه کوم |
| Pedi | Kiyahurata |
| Persian (Farsi) |
Dustat dâram – دوستت دارم |
| Piemontese | Te ami |
| Pig Latin (constructed) | Iay ovlay ouyay |
| Pohnpeian | Ih mwauhkin uhk |
| Pokot (Kalenjin dialect) | Achaminyi |
| Polish | Kocham Cię |
| Portuguese – Brazil | Te amo |
| Portuguese – Portugal | Amo-te |
| Pulaar | Mbe de yid ma |
| Punjabi | Mẽ tenū̃ piār kardā hā̃ – ਮੈਂ ਤੈਨੂੰ ਪਿਆਰ ਕਰਦਾ ਹਾਂ। |
| Punu | Nyu rondi |
| Pushtu | Mung jane’ |
| Quechua – Bolivian | Qanta munani |
| Quechua – Equadorian | Canda munani |
| Quechua – Cuzco | Munakuyki |
| Quenya | Tye-meláne |
| Rapa nui | Hanga rahi au kia koe |
| Romagnolo | A-t vói bèin |
| Romani | Kamaù tut |
| Romanian | Te iubesc |
| Romansch | Jau t’am |
| Russian | Ya tebya l’ubl’u – Я тебя люблю |
| Rwandan | Ndagukunda |
| Saami | Mun rahkistan du |
| Samburu | Kaasham iye/Oleng |
| Samoan | Ou te alofa outou |
| Sango | Mbi yé mô |
| Sanskrit | Snihyāmi tvayi – स्निह्यामि त्वयि |
| Sar | M’tari |
| Sardinian (Campidanese) | Deu t’amu |
| Sardinian (Logudorese) | Deo t’amo |
| Scottish gaelic | Tha gaol agam ort |
| Senufo | Mô mi dènè |
| Serbian | Volim – te волим те |
| Serer | Mi nowinda |
| Sesotho | Ke a mo rata |
| Setswana | Ke a go rata |
| Shibushi | Zahou mitiya anaou |
| Shikomori | Ngam hwandzo |
| ShiMaore | Nisuhuvendza |
| Shona | Ndinokuda |
| Siberian Yup’ik | Piniqamken |
| Sindarin Elvish (constructed by J.R.R. Tolkien) | Gi melin |
| Sindhi | Maa tokhe pyar kendo ahyan |
| Sinhala | Mama oyata aadareyi – මම ඔයාට ආදරෙයි |
| Sioux | Techihhila |
| Slovak | Ľúbim Ťa |
| Slovenian | Ljubim te |
| Somali | Waan ku Jecelahay |
| Songhai | Aye ga banin |
| Soninké | Na moula |
| Sotho (Northern) | Ke a go rata |
| Spanish | Te amo |
| Surinamese | Mi lobi joe |
| Susu | Ira fan ma |
| Swahili | Nakupenda |
| Swazi | Ngiyakutsandza |
| Swedish | Jag älskar dig |
| Swiss German | I liäbe di |
| Syrian | Bhebbek (to a female) / Bhebbak (to a male) |
| Tagalog (Filipino) | Mahal kita |
| Tahitian | Ua Here Vau Ia Oe |
| Taita | Nakukunde |
| Taiwanese (Hokkien) | Wa ga ei li |
| Tajiki | Jigarata bihrum duhtari hola (to a female) / Tra lav dorum (to a male) |
| Tamil | Nān unnai kādhalikkiren – நான் உன்னை காதலிக்கிறேன் |
| Tatar | Min sini yaratam – мин сини яратам |
| Telugu | Nenu ninnu premistunnanu – నేను నిన్ను ప్రేమిస్తున్నాను |
| Tetun | Hau hadomi o |
| Thai | Pom rak khun (male speaker) ผมรักคุณ / Chan rak khun (female speaker) – ฉันรักคุณ |
| Tibetan | Na kirinla gaguidou – ང་ཁྱེད་རང་ལ་དགའ་པོ་ཡོད་ |
| Tigrigna | Yfetwekiye – ይፈትወኪ’የ! (to a male) / Yfetwekaye – ይፈትወካ`የ! (to a female) |
| Tok Pisin | Mi lavim yu |
| Tongan | Ofa atu |
| Tsez | Där mi yetix – Даьр ми йетих (to a female) / Där mi etix – Даьр ми этих (to a male) |
| Tshiluba | Ndji mukunanga |
| Tshivenḓa | Ndi a ni funa |
| Tswana | Ke a go rata |
| Tunisian | N’habbek |
| Turkana | Kamina ayong iyong |
| Turkish | Seni Seviyorum |
| Turkmen | Seni söýärin |
| Tuvan | Men seni ynakshir – мэн сэни ынакшир |
| Twi | Me dor wo |
| Twi (Ashanti) | Me pe wo |
| Udmurt | Mon tone jaratiśko |
| Ukrainian | Ya tebe kahayu – Я тебе кохаю |
| Urdu |
mein ap say muhabat karta hoon – میں آپ سے محبت کَرتا ہوں (to a female) / mein ap say muhabat karti hoon – میں آپ سے محبت کرتی ہوں (to a male) |
| Uzbek (formal) | Men seni sevamale – мен сени севаман |
| Uzbek (informal) | Men seni yahshi ko’ramale |
| Vai | Na lia |
| Valencian | Te vullk |
| Venda | Ndi a ni funa |
| Venetian | T’amo |
| Veps | Minä armastan sindai |
| Vietnamese | Anh ye^u em (to a female) Em ye^u anh (to male) |
| Vlaams | Ik hue van ye |
| Volapük (constructed) | Läfob oli |
| Vute | Ma wou ndoune |
| Wallisian | Eau ofa ia koe |
| Waloon | Dji t’veû vol’tî |
| Wanga & Marama (Luhya dialects) | Ndakhuchama |
| Welsh | ‘Rwy’n dy garu di |
| West Indian creole | Mwen enmen’w |
| Wolof | Da ma la nope |
| Xhosa | Ndiya kuthanda |
| Xitsonga | Ndza ku rhandza |
| Yakut | Min eyiigin taptyybyn – Мин эйиигин таптыыбын |
| Yapese | Gu ba’adag em |
| Yemba | Men nkon’ wou |
| Yeniche | Y hob ti |
| Yiddish |
Ikh hob dikh lieb – איך האָב דיך ליב |
| Yipunu | Ni wu rondi |
| Yorùbá | Mo nifẹẹ rẹ |
| Yucatec (Maya) | ‘in k’aatech |
| Yup’ik | Assiramken |
| Zapotec | Nadxiie lii |
| Zazaki | Ez tora hesken |
| Zaza | Ezhele hezdege |
| Zulu | Ngiyakuthanda |
| Zuni | Tom ho’ ichema |
The post The Languages of Love appeared first on LexWorks.