German isn’t known for being a language of love, at least not in the sense that French is. However, there are several romantic German phrases. But what are the best German love words?
Even if you aren’t dating a German (or an Austrian or a Swiss) right now, knowing a few German love words will certainly come in handy! After all, German may be one of the hardest languages, but it is very common in Europe!
The ability to use romantic German phrases is perhaps one of the most sophisticated things you can do. German is a quite sophisticated language even if it isn’t as sophisticated as French or Spanish is.
17. Schatz
Schatz is something that is both quite common and not very common. In some circles, Schatz is very common, but in others, it is almost unheard of. Mostly this is an age and a regional thing, rather than anything else.
Literally, Schatz translates as “treasure”. Unlike most other romantic German phrases that are a single word, especially a noun, Schatz doesn’t need ein (a). It is mostly use in the context of “sweetheart” rather than “treasure”.
Schatz is most commonly used by the older generations, especially in the south of Germany. It is mostly used to describe their love- their wife/husband or the girlfriend/boyfriend of their grandson/granddaughter.
16. Ich bin bis über beide Ohren verliebt
One of the most idiomatic, yet most romantic German phrases on this list is certainly ich bin bis über beide Ohren verliebt. It is mostly used by teenagers and young adults who have found their love, but is occasionally used by older couples.
Literally, ich bin bis über beide Ohren verliebt translates to mean “I’m in love until over both ears”. However, it’s generally used in the same context as “I’m head over heels for you” in English.
Despite being primarily used by teenagers and young adults, it is widely understood. Whether you’re 10 or 100 in Germany, you understand the implication ich bin bis über beide Ohren verliebt to you.
15. Willst du mit mir ausgehen?
Okay, let’s imagine you’ve got a German crush, and you have expressed your love for them. Now, it is time to ask them if they like you too. The best way to do this is to ask willst du mit mir ausgehen?
Willst du mit mir ausgehen? is one of the two main ways that you can ask someone if they would like to go out with you. Literally, it does translate as “Do you want to go out with me?”
In some parts of Germany and Austria, you can simply write (or say) it as Willst du mit mir gehen? (Do you want to go out with me?) which is becoming much more common with the younger generations.
14. Willst du mein(e) Freund(in) sein?
No article on the most romantic German phrases would be complete without willst du mein Freund sein? (if you’re asking a male) or willst du meine Freundin sein? (if you’re asking a female)
Willst du mein(e) Freund(in) sein? translates as “Do you want to be my boyfriend/girlfriend?” and is used in the same context as its English equivalent is.
Another way to say willst du mein Freund/meine Freundin sein? is to say wirst du mit mir ausgehen? (Do you want to go out with me?) which can be used interchangeably to willst du mein(e) Freund(in) sein?
13. Ich bin verrückt nach dir
One of the best ways to tell your German crush just how much you like them, is to tell them ich bin verrückt nach dir. It will certainly tell them just how much you like them!
Ich bin verrückt nach dir roughly translates as “I’m crazy about you” or “I’m nuts for you”. To add sincerity to your outburst of affection, you could also add their name or “Baby” in front of it too!
Despite its widespread use among teenagers and young adults (and being one of the most common German love words) it is also common among middle aged couples who’ve been dating a while.
However, the older generations do not see it as a compliment as the younger generations do.
12. Ich denke immer über dich
Another ways to tell your Germanic crush just how much you like them is to use ich denke immer über dich. Despite it’s English equivalent potentially having a creepy connotation, in Germany it is seen as very sweet!
Ich denke immer über dich translates as “I think about you everyday”. It is most commonly used by teenagers and people who have been in a serious relationship for several years, however many middle-aged people do use it.
Unlike its English counterpart, which could be used to make someone feel uncomfortable, in Germany, there is no such meaning! In Germany, no matter who says it to you, it is seen as one of the highest compliments!
Not to mention that it is one of the most romantic German phrases!
11. Ich kann nicht ohne dich leben
If you want to use one of the most romantic German phrases to impress your crush, you should probably use ich kann nicht ohne dich leben. If your aim is to impress and make him/her feel special, this will certainly do the trick!
Ich kann nicht ohne dich leben is usually translated to mean “I can’t live without you”. It is most commonly used by young adults however, it is also used by middle aged people who have been dating for what seems like forever.
Used in the wrong context in English, it can sound incredibly creepy. However, in German this is not the case, it is only ever seen as being romantic, especially so if you are in a romantic relationship with that person!
11. Ich liebe dich
Ich liebe dich is by far one of the most common German love words, if not the most common. Alongside the next one, ich liebe dich is considered to be one of the most affectionate phrases in German.
Ich liebe dich translates as “I love you” and is used exactly in the same way as its English counterpart is. It is used by a couple, whether romantic or familial, to express their love for someone else.
As with its English counterpart, ich liebe dich is used by almost everyone. You will hear 15 year olds, 50 year olds and 80 year olds all using ich liebe dich to their family and to the person that they love.
10. Ich hab’ dich lieb
Ich hab’ dich lieb and ich liebe dich are very similar in most ways. Just as with ich liebe ich, ich hab’ dich lieb is one of the most common German love words. Together with ich liebe dich, it is seen as one of the most affectionate German phrases.
Where ich liebe dich is the formal way of saying “I love you”, ich hab’ dich lieb is the informal way of saying “I love you”. In many cases, ich liebe dich is translated to “Love ya” more commonly than it is “I love you”.
As can be implied from its informal use and English translation, it is rarely used by couples who aren’t “serious”. More often than not, it is used between two people who’ve been dating for a long time or have been married for a while.
9. Willst du mich heiraten?
No article on the most romantic German phrases would be complete without willst du mich heiraten? Let’s say you’ve told your Germanic crush you like them, you’ve dated for a while. Now, you’re thinking of taking the next step.
This is where willst du mich heiraten? comes in handy. Willst du mich heiraten? literally translates as “Will you marry me?” it is used in the same context as its English counterpart is.
But beware, if you plan to ask willst du mich heiraten? to your partner, make sure to ask the bride’s father first. German culture is very strict and expects that the groom will ask the bride’s father for her hand in marriage.
8. Können wir küssen?
Okay, let’s say that you have told your crush that you like them and you’ve gone on a date with them. Both of you have enjoyed your date, and before you say your goodbyes, you could ask können wir küssen?
Können wir küssen? translates to mean “Can we kiss?” or “May we kiss?”. Naturally it is most commonly used on dates, usually the second or third date. However, people who’ve known each other for a while may do it on the first date.
However, if you haven’t enjoyed the date or he/she, he/she or you asks können wir küssen? You politely decline by saying nein rather than making a scene of it.
7. Ich liebe dein Lächeln
Ich liebe dein Lächeln is one of the sexiest German love words in the entire German language. It can be used by almost anyone to tell someone they’ve been with for years, or someone they have a crush on, just how much they like them.
Ich liebe dein Lächeln translates to mean “I love your smile” and can be used by both boys and girls to describe how much their love’s smile means to them.
Do be advised however, if you use this to someone who has previosuly rejected you, or worse yet, someone in a romantic relationship, you may find yourself in a sticky situation.
However, using it to your boyfriend/girlfriend or wife/husband is certainly seen as okay and is quite common!
6. Du hast wunderschöne Augen
Du hast wunderschöne Augen is one of the most common German love words. It is probably best used on a date, however, it could be used by people who have been dating for a while.
Du hast wunderschöne Augen translates as “You have beautiful eyes” and is most commonly used to describe a woman’s eyes. However, as with most things in life, is becoming increasingly use to describe a man’s eyes as well as a woman’s.
It is most commonly used by teenagers and young adults who have been dating for a little while. Despite this, and as with most other romantic German phrases, it can be used by people who’ve dated or been married for years!
5. Du bist die Liebe meines Lebens
Du bist die Liebe meines Lebens is one of the best German love words you could ever utter. It is almost universally understood to be one of the most flattering ways to tell someone how much you love them.
Literally, du bist die Liebe meines Lebens means “You are the love of my life” and it is often used by people to tell someone they’ve been with for years just how much they love them.
But beware, if you have told someone you like them before and they’ve rejected you, using du bist die Liebe meines Lebens will almost certainly get you into lots of trouble. You’ve been warned!
4. Ich liebe dich so, wie du bist
If you’ve been dating that special someone for a while and you want to make them feel special, use Ich liebe dich so, wie du bist. After all, Ich liebe dich so, wie du bist is one of the most famous German love words.
Often, ich liebe dich so, wie du bist is translated to mean “I love you just the way you are”.
Ich liebe dich so, wie du bist is quite romantic and is well known all throughout the German-speaking world. It is most commonly used by teenagers and young adults expressing their love for one another.
3. Ich liebe dich mehr jeden Tag
If you want to make someone you’ve been with for a while feel incredibly special, you might want to tell them ich liebe dich mehr jeden Tag. And that will almost certainly make them feel special!
Just as with ich liebe dich, ich liebe dich mehr jeden Tag is used to express a deep love. Literally, ich liebe dich mehr jeden Tag translates as “I love you more everyday”.
This certainly makes ich liebe dich mehr jeden Tag one of the best German love words you could know. It is used mostly by people who have been in a longstanding relationship, whether it’s marriage or not.
2. Liebst du mich?
Liebst du mich? is either one of the most romantic German phrases, or one of the most heartbreaking. It really depends on the context it is used in.
In one context it can be used to mean “Do you love me?”- You’ve told your Germanic crush you like them and you’re asking if they like you too. In the other, it’s questioning someone’s love for you.
It is most commonly used by teenagers and middle-aged people. For teenagers it’s mostly the romantic way of asking, for middle-aged people, it’s mostly the way of questioning someone’s love.
1. Honey/Baby
This is probably the weirdest inclusion on this list. Both honey and baby are part of “Denglisch” (a mixture of German and English) which makes this one quite new and thus, quite distinctive.
Both honey and baby mean the same as their English counterparts. After all, they were borrowed from English thanks to American TV shows becoming quite prominent in Germany, especially the west.
Using honey or baby is most commonly used by young adults describe their boyfriend/girlfriend or husband/wife. However, using it to older generations is seen as improper, even if they are your spouse or partner…
It’s just a matter of time and perspective.
Got anymore romantic German phrases or German love words? Tell me in the comments!