How to Say I Love You in German

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Say "I love you" by saying "Ich liebe Dich."

   We'll show you how to pronounce each single word, but phonetically it sounds something like this: ., This is the "I" in "I love you." The /ch/ sound in "ich," which is also called a voiceless palatal fricative, isn't pronounced the same way you would pronounce it in English.
   
   It sounds something like the /j/ sound in Spanish, kind of like a snake hissing.
   
   The /ch/ sound is really hard for non-native speakers to master.
   
   Most English-speakers getting away with saying "ish," as in "finish" or "fish."
   
   This is the "love" in "I love you." Say this slowly "lee-buh." The "l" is pronounced normally but the "ie" is pronounced as "ee" like in "tree" and "bee." The "be" at the end of it is pronounced like the "b" in "burn." Put it together to form "liebe."
   
   The "ich" in "Dich" is pronounced the same as "ich" in the first step. "Dich" sounds similar to the English word "dish," except the /ch/ sound is produced in the middle of the mouth instead of the front.
   
   This is the "you" in "I love you".
2. 2

   Step 2: Say "ich."

3. 3

   Step 3: Say "liebe."

4. 4

   Step 4: Say "Dich."

Detailed Guide

About the Author