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How to Say I Love You in 100 Different Languages
Learning new languages is hard. But it’s easier if you start with just a few words, like learning how to say hello or I love you.
For Valentine’s Day, surprise your foreign love by saying I love you in their native tongue. Or play a game with your partner to see if they can guess which language you’re cherishing them in.
Or, if you’re like me and are flying solo this Valentine’s Day, say it to your dog and have them become increasingly confused as to why you’re talking weird when you should be playing fetch.
However, you choose to celebrate Valentine’s Day, add some global flair by learning how to say I love you in 100 different languages from around the world!
I’ve even included pronunciations to make it easier for you to awe your loved ones this Valentine’s Day.
Need help learning a new language? I recommend iTalki! I’ve tried ALL the apps, but iTalki is the only way I’ve managed to learn as much as living in the local country.
How to Say I Love You in Different Languages
1. English = I love you
Where to Say It: English is the second most spoken language in the world, but is often considered the most common. It is the official language of the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Many other countries also use English as a secondary language.
How to Pronounce it: ay luhv u
2. French = Je t’aime
Where to Say It: French is spoken in France. It is also widely understood in Quebec and the rest of Canada, Belgium, Switzerland, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cรดte dโIvoire, Cameroon, Guinea, Gabon, and Mauritius. You’ll want to pick up a phrasebook to help with the complex grammar.
How to Pronounce it: j-uh tem
3. Spanish = Te quiero
Where to Say It: Spanish is the native language of Spain and Mexico, and many countries in South America, Spanish is the primary language. It is also the second most common language in the United States.
How to Pronounce it: teh keyero
If you’re planning a trip to Spain and looking to learn even more Spanish, I highly recommend picking up this pocket phrasebook. It is the perfect guide to keep in your pocket/purse and use on the go and it’s affordable!
4. Italian = Ti amo
Where to Say It: Italy.
How to Pronounce it: tee ah-mo
Learn the top 1000 common Italian phrases with this book to help you get to know locals – and maybe find love in Italy!
5. Portuguese = Eu te amo
Where to Say It: Portugal and Brazil. It is still spoken in former colonies, like Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, Sao Tome, and Macau. Youโll also find linguistic roots in the Philippines.
How to Pronounce it: eh-oo teh ah-mo
6. Maori = Aroha ahau ki a koe
Where to Say It: New Zealand.
How to Pronounce it: ah-row-ha ah-how key ah k-oh
Maori pronunciations are really complicated. Avoid being laughed at for confusing your “f”s with “wh”s. This book helped me a lot.
7. Finnish = Rakastan sinua
Where to Say It: Finland.
How to Pronounce it: rah-kah-sh-tan sin-oo-a
8. Greek = Sโagapo
Where to Say It: Greece and Cyprus.
How to Pronounce it: say-ah-gah-poh
9. Serbian = Volim te
Where to Say It: This Slavic language is spoken in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, and Croatia. It is similar to many other Slavic languages.
How to Pronounce it: vol-ym tay
10. Croatian = Volim te
Where to Say It: Croatia, but is also spoken in some parts of Bosnia and Serbia.
How to Pronounce it: vol-ym tay
11. Russian = Ya tebya lyublyu
Where to Say It: Russian is the most common language in Eastern Europe. Use this phrase in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and other Eastern European countries.
How to Pronounce it: yeh tib-eh lewblew
12. Mandarin = Wว ร i nว
Where to Say It: As the most spoken language in the world, itโs useful to know how to speak Mandarin anywhere. Itโs primarily spoken in China. If you’re visiting, you should pick up some books to learn Chinese Madarin before you arrive.
How to Pronounce it: wah ay nee
13. Cantonese = Ngรณh oi nรฉih
Where to Say It: Many people think โChineseโ is a language, but Cantonese and Mandarin are very different. Cantonese is mostly spoken in Southern China, Hong Kong, and Macau.
How to Pronounce it: nyoh oy nay
14. Hindi = Main tumhe pyaar kartii huun
Where to Say It: Hindi is one of the official languages of India, but is most commonly spoken in Northern India. Youโll also be understood in Nepal, too.
How to Pronounce it: mein tuhm-hee pyahr kartee hoon
15. Japanese = Ai shiteru
Where to Say It: Japan.
How to Pronounce it: AYE-shee-teh-roo
16. Turkish = Seni seviyorum
Where to Say It: Turkey and Cyprus. Youโll also find it in parts of Azerbaijan.
How to Pronounce it: sen sehv-ee-yohr-oom
17. Korean = Salanghae
Where to Say It: North Korea and South Korea.
How to Pronounce it: sah-lang-hay
18. Slovak = ฤฝรบbim ลฅa
Where to Say It: Slovakia.
How to Pronounce it: loo-bim t-cha
19. German = Ich liebe dich
Where to Say It: Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
How to Pronounce it: ick leeb-ah dih-ch
This phrasebook helped me massively when I was trying to shop in Germany.
20. Dutch = Ik hou van jou
Where to Say It: Spoken by millions in the Netherlands and northern Belgium.
How to Pronounce it: ick how vahn yow
21. Polish = Kocham ciฤ
Where to Say It: The official language of Poland, Polish is said to be one of the hardest languages to learn.
How to Pronounce it: koh-ham cheh
22. Thai = Chan rแบกk khuแน
Where to Say It: Thailand.
How to Pronounce it: chahn rahk koon
Want to learn Thai? I recommend this pocket phrasebook that you can easily carry with you. This way you won’t be stranded in a market with no idea how to order dinner – or what you’re ordering!
23. Hungarian = Szeretlek
Where to Say It: Hungary, but parts of the Balkans also speak it.
How to Pronounce it: seh-reht-lek
24. Czech = Miluji tฤ
Where to Say It: Czech Republic.
How to Pronounce it: mil-wee tyeh
Need help learning a new language? I recommend iTalki! I’ve tried ALL the apps, but iTalki is the only way I’ve managed to learn as much as living in the local country.
25. Bengali = ฤmi tลmฤแบa bhฤlลbฤsi
Where to Say It: Bangladesh.
How to Pronounce it: ah-mee toe-mah-kye bah-loh-bah-shi
26. Urdu = Mai aap say pyaar karta hoo
Where to Say It: National language of Pakistan, with similarities to the Hindi language.
How to Pronounce it: may ahp say pyahr kar-tah hoo
27. Persian = Doosetaan daaram
Where to Say It: Persian or Farsi is spoken is Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Bahrain.
How to Pronounce it: doo-stet-ahn dah-ram
28. Ukrainian = Ya tebe lyublyu
Where to Say It: The Ukraine.
How to Pronounce it: yeh tib-eh lewblew
29. Swedish = Jag รคlskar dig
Where to Say It: Language of Sweden and the Aland Islands.
How to Pronounce it: yag el-eh-skar dee
30. Afrikaans = Ek het jou lief
Where to Say It: South Africa and Namibia. Some parts of Botswana and Zimbabwe also speak Afrikaans.
How to Pronounce it: ahk eht yo leef
31. Romanian = Te iubesc
Where to Say It: Spoken in Romania and Moldova.
How to Pronounce it: teh u-besk
32. Hebrew = Ani ohev otach
Where to Say It: Historically, the language of those in Israel and of the Jewish faith.
How to Pronounce it: any oh-hev oh-tah-ch
33. Armenian = Yes sirum yem kโez
Where to Say It: Republic of Armenia and in Armenian Diaspora communities.
How to Pronounce it: yess see-room yehm kyez
34. Arabic = Ana behibek
Where to Say It: There are many dialects of Arabic throughout North Africa and the Middle East. Used in Algeria, Bahrain, Chad, Egypt, Eritrea, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Western Sahara, and Yemen.
How to Pronounce it: ah-na beh-ee-behk
35. Punjabi = Maiแน tuhฤnลซ piโฤra karadฤ hฤแน
Where to Say It: The 10th most spoken language in the world is a language spoken in India.
How to Pronounce it: maym tuh-han-oo pee-ahrah kah-rah-dah hahm
36. Javanese = Aku tresna sampeyan
Where to Say It: Spoken in Java, Indonesia.
How to Pronounce it: ahkoo trehs-nah sam-pay-ahn
37. Malay/Indonesian = Saya cinta padamu
Where to Say It: Youโll find this language in Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand. It is the official language of Malaysia and Brunei.
How to Pronounce it: say-ah sin-tah pahd-ah-moo
38. Vietnamese = Anh yรชu em
Where to Say It: Primarily spoken in Vietnam.
How to Pronounce it: ah-nh you ehm
39. Basque = Maite zaitut
Where to Say It: Spoken in the Basque regions of Spain, located in Northern Spain and Southern France.
How to Pronounce it: may-teh zay-tooht
40. Bavarian = I liab di
Where to Say It: Regional dialect in Bavaria, Germany, and Western Austria.
How to Pronounce it: ee-lee-ab dee
41. Tagalog = Mahal kita
Where to Say It: Primary language of the Philippines.
How to Pronounce it: mah-hal kih-tah
42. Swahili = Nakupenda
Where to Say It: Swahili is mainly used in Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya. It is the secondary language in East Africa.
How to Pronounce it: nah-koo-PEN-dah
43. Uzbek = Men seni sevaman
Where to Say It: Uzebekistan.
How to Pronounce it: mehn seh-nee sehv-ah-mahn
44. Azerbaijani = Mษn sษni sevirษm
Where to Say It: Azerbaijan. Youโll also find it in Northern Iran, southern Dagestan, Kvemo Kartli in Georgia, Eastern Turkey, and some parts of Iraq.
How to Pronounce it: mehn seh-nee sehv-ah-mahn
45. Kurdish = Ez hej te dikim
Where to Say It: Spoken by 30 million people in Western Asian, including Kurdistan, Iraq, Turkey, Iran, and Syria.
How to Pronounce it: ehz hay tej dih-kihm
46. Nepali = Ma timฤซlฤโฤซ mฤyฤ garchu
Where to Say It: Sole language of Nepal and one of the languages of India.
How to Pronounce it: mah tihm-eelai mi-ah gahr-soo
47. Haitian Creole = Mwen renmen ou
Where to Say It: Spoken in Haiti, along with French.
How to Pronounce it: m-when rhen-mehn oo
48. Belarusian = Ja tabe kahaju
Where to Say It: Spoken in Belarus and parts of Russia, Ukraine, and Poland.
How to Pronounce it: yah tah-be kah-ah-yoo
49. Chichewa = Ndimakukonda
Where to Say It: Also called Nyanja, this Bantu language is spoken in Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe.
How to Pronounce it: n-dim-ak-uhk-ohn-dah
50. Fijian = Au domoni iko
Where to Say It: Native language of Fiji.
How to Pronounce it: oh doh-moh-nee ee-koh
51. Hawaiian = Aloha wau ia’oe
Where to Say It: Hawaii, USA.
How to Pronounce it: ah-low-hah wah-oo eeah-oh
52. Samoan= Uo te alofa ia te oe
Where to Say It: The Samoan Islands.
How to Pronounce it: oh teh ah-low-fah ee-ah teh oiy
53. Tongan = Ofa atu
Where to Say It: Kingdom of Tonga.
How to Pronounce it: oh-fah ah-too
54. Yiddish = Ikh hob dikh
Where to Say It: Historical language of the Ashkenazi Jewish peoples.
How to Pronounce it: ick hob dikh
55. Welsh = โRwyโn dy garu di
Where to Say It: Spoken in Wales and routinely mocked in greater Britain for its abundance of consonants.
How to Pronounce it: r-wyn dee gah-roo dee
56. Norwegian = Jeg elsker deg
Where to Say It: Norway.
How to Pronounce it: yah el-sker die
57. Lithuanian = As tave myliu
Where to Say It: Lithuania.
How to Pronounce it: ash-ta-veh mee-lioo
58. Latvian = Es tevi miilu
Where to Say It: Latvia.
How to Pronounce it: ess teh-vee mee-loo
59. Icelandic = Eg elska tig
Where to Say It: Iceland.
How to Pronounce it: yehg el-shka tihg
60. Scottish Gaelic = Tha gaol agam ort
Where to Say It: Native to the Gaels of Scotland. It is now rarely spoken in Scotland.
How to Pronounce it: th-ah gay-ohl ah-gahm oh-rt
61. Irish = Taim iโ ngra leat
Where to Say It: The Irish Gaelic language is spoken in Ireland.
How to Pronounce it: taw may ih ngraw lyat
62. Estonian = Ma armastan sind
Where to Say It: Estonia.
How to Pronounce it: mah armahstan seend
63. Bosnian = Volim te
Where to Say It: Bosnia.
How to Pronounce it: vol-ym tay
64. Tibetan = Nga kayrang-la gawpo yuh
Where to Say It: Official language of the Tibet Autonomous Region of the Peopleโs Republic of China. Spoken across the Himalayas.
How to Pronounce it: ngah kay-rawng-lah gaw-poh yuh
65. Lao = Khony hak chao
Where to Say It: Main language of Laos.
How to Pronounce it: k-oh-nee hahk chow
66. Georgian = Mikvarhar
Where to Say It: Georgia (the country, not the USA state).
How to Pronounce it: mik-var-har
67. Sesotho = Kea u rata
Where to Say It: Spoken in Basotho in Lesotho, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.
How to Pronounce it: kee-ah oo rah-too
68. Esperanto = Mi amas vin
Where to Say It: Artificial language created to be a widely spoken language in the world.
How to Pronounce it: mee ah-mass veen
69. Maltese = Inhobbok
Where to Say It: Matla, Gozo, and Comino in the Mediterranean.
How to Pronounce it: in-hoh-bok
70. Bahaman = I love you
Where to Say It: Bahamas.
How to Pronounce it: ay luhv yoo
71. Igbo = A hแปฅrแปฅ m gแป nโanya
Where to Say It: Nigeria.
How to Pronounce it: a hoo-roo m gee nyahn-yah
72. Luxembourgish= Ech hun dech gaer
Where to Say It: Luxembourg.
How to Pronounce it: ick huhn dek gay-er
73. Navajo = Ayรณรณ anรญรญnรญshnรญ
Where to Say It: Southwestern United States by the Navajo peoples.
How to Pronounce it: ay-oo anee-nee-shnee
74. Swiss German = Ich lieb Di
Where to Say It: Upper German dialect name thatโs spoken in Switzerland, Lichtenstein, parts of Germany, and Alsace, France.
How to Pronounce it: ick lyeb dee
Need help learning a new language? I recommend iTalki! I’ve tried ALL the apps, but iTalki is the only way I’ve managed to learn as much as living in the local country.
75. Tahitian = Ua here vau ia oe
Where to Say It: Spoken in the Society Islands in French Polynesia.
How to Pronounce it: oo-ah hay-ray ee-ah oh-ay
76. Albanian = Te dua
Where to Say It: Albanian is the predominant language of Albania and Kosovo. You will find it in other regions of the Balkans as well.
How to Pronounce it: teh doo-ah
77. Catalan = T’estimo
Where to Say It: Official language of Andorra and the co-official language of some Spanish communities, like Catalonia and the Balearic Islands.
How to Pronounce it: teh-stee-moh
78. Galician = Quรฉrote
Where to Say It: Northwestern Spain.
How to Pronounce it: qwe-row-teh
79. Mongolian = Bi chamd khairtai
Where to Say It: Mongolia, parts of Russia, and parts of Kyrgyzstan.
How to Pronounce it: bee chahmd kayr-ty
80. Wolof = Nopp naa la
Where to Say It: Senegal.
How to Pronounce it: noh-p nah lah
81. Wu (Shanghainese) = Ngu long hushin long lah
Where to Say It: A variety of Wu Chinese spoken in the city of Shanghai and itโs surrounding areas.
How to Pronounce it: nyu long hoo-shin long lah
82. Tamil = Nan unnai kathalikaraen
Where to Say It: Southern India, Sri Lanka, and Singapore.
How to Pronounce it: nan oo-ni kah-thah-lik-ah-reen
83. Pashto= Za ta sara meena laram
Where to Say It: Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran.
How to Pronounce it: zah tah say-rah mee-nah lah-rahm
84. Kannada = Naanu ninna preetisuttene
Where to Say It: Southwestern India.
How to Pronounce it: nah-noo nee-nah pree-tis-oo-ten-eh
85. Hausa = Ina son ku
Where to Say It: Hausa is the native language of Niger and Northern Nigeria. It is also used in some countries in West and Central Africa.
How to Pronounce it: ee-nah sun koo
86. Burmese = Mainnkohkyittaal
Where to Say It: Myanmar, especially by the Bamar people.
How to Pronounce it: mayn-koo-chyeh-tay
87. Amharic = Iwedihalehu
Where to Say It: The language of Ethiopia. You can also use it in Egypt and Eritrea.
How to Pronounce it: ee-wed-ih-hal-ehoo
88. Breton = Me az kar
Where to Say It: Brittany in the Northwest of France.
How to Pronounce it: mee ahz kar
89. Oromo = Siin jaaladha
Where to Say It: This Cushitic language is spoken by millions in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and Egypt.
How to Pronounce it: sin jah-lah-dhah
90. Manipuri = ษi-nษ nษng-bu nung-shi
Where to Say It: Manipur in India.
How to Pronounce it: ei-neh nang-boo noong-shi
91. Cebuano = Gihigugma tika
Where to Say It: The Philippines.
How to Pronounce it: gee-hee-goog-ma tee-kah
92. Malagasy = Tiako ianao
Where to Say It: Madagascar.
How to Pronounce it: tee-ah-koh ee-ahn-oh
93. Santali = Ing aming sibilama
Where to Say It: West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Orissa in India.
How to Pronounce it: ee-ng ah-mihng cee-bihl-ah-mah
94. Khmer = Khnhomโ sralanhโ anak
Where to Say It: Cambodia.
How to Pronounce it: ky-nohm srah-lahn nyeh
95. Sinhalese = Mama oyฤแนญa ฤdareyi
Where to Say It: Sri Lanka.
How to Pronounce it: mah-mah oh-ya-tah ah-dah-rey
96. Somali = Waan ku jeclahay
Where to Say It: Somalia.
How to Pronounce it: wahn koo jek-lah-hay
97. Taiwanese Hokkien = Wa ai li
Where to Say It: Taiwan.
How to Pronounce it: wah ay lee
98. Tswana = Ke a go rata
Where to Say It: Botswana and South Africa.
How to Pronounce it: keh ah goh rah-tah
99. Quechua = Kuyayki
Where to Say It: Peru.
How to Pronounce it: koo-yahy-kee
100. Xhosa = Ndiyakuthanda
Where to Say It: Bantu language of South Africa.
How to Pronounce it: ndee-yah-koo-thahn-dah
How to Sign “I Love You” in Different Languages
Closing Thoughts on Saying I Love You in Every Language
With these 100 different ways to say I love you in different languages, you’ll never be at a loss for words.
Remember: these are romantic I love you’s. Not the kind of thing you say to a stranger who found your purse … unless you’re into them, then go for it!
I hope that this article on how to say I love you in 100 different languages helped improve your communication and makes your Valentine’s Day more special.
Did I miss a language you speak? Let me know how to say I love you in the comments!
Practice more languages with iTalki! iTalki will help you get ready to move abroad to any country by learning the language.
Get connected with real people who will help you learn a new language like you would while living abroad.
Click here to get started with iTalki today!
Read More About Languages Abroad
- How to Say Hello in 100 Different Languages
- How to Say Yes and No in 100 Different Languages
- How to Say How Are You in 100 Different Languages
- How to Say Goodbye in 100 Different Languages
- How to Say Thank You in 100 Different Languages
- How to Say Cheers in 100 Different Languages + Pronunciation
- How to Say I Love You in 100 Different Languages
- New Zealand Slang: From Sweet As to Swear Words
- Guide to 100+ Canadian Slang: Unique Canadian Sayings and Phrases You Need to Know
- How to Say Water in 100 Different Languages + Pronunciations
- How to Say Please in 100 Different Languages
Pin this for later!
Canada Travel Planning Guide
🚑 Should I buy Canada travel insurance?
100% YES! โ Canada has “free” healthcare but it’s only for citizens! Foreigners visiting need travel insurance in case anything happens on their visit. I recommend World Nomads – starting at just $5 a day!
💧Can you drink the water in Canada?
Yes โ In all major cities in Canada, you can drink the tap water. There are very few, rural areas that you can’t. However, you should never drink river or lake water anywhere in the country! I recommend a Brita Water Bottle for long hikes and backcountry camping to stay safe and hydrated.
🚙💨 Is it safe to rent a car in Canada?
Yes โ Renting a car is a necessity in most of Canada! If you want to go on road trips or adventures outside of the major cities, you’ll need to rent a car. (Read more)
📲 Will my phone work in Canada?
Maybe โ Some American companies work in Canada, but many will not. If your phone doesn’t work in Canada, I recommend getting a Canadian SIM card so you can get around and stay in contact with loved ones. We don’t have a lot of free WIFI in Canada, so you’ll need your phone for maps.
🏩 Whatโs the best way to book my Canada accommodations?
My go-to for Canadian hotels is Booking.com. For hostels, I use Hostel World. If you want a home-y feeling, check out VRBO (which is cheaper and safer than Airbnb).
Or get free accommodations with Trusted Housesitters!
✈️ Whatโs the best site to buy Canada flights?
For finding cheap Canadian flights, I recommend Skyscanner.
🎫 Do I need a visa for Canada?
Likely Not โ US, UK, and EU passport holders don’t need Canadian visas. However, some other countries do (check here!). And if you plan to stay for more than 4 weeks (an average tourist visa length), you will need to look into visas to live in Canada.
