Exploring how to say ‘love’ in over 100 languages shows us more than just the different words we use. It highlights how culture shapes our expression of love. Each phrase feels different in French, German, and Japanese because of their unique cultures and histories. This journey into language makes us think about love in new ways. What can we learn about how people around the world experience love and connection?
Ways to Say “I Love You” in Different Languages
| Language | Word for “Love” |
| English | Love |
| Spanish | Amor |
| French | Amour |
| Italian | Amore |
| German | Liebe |
| Portuguese | Amor |
| Russian | Любовь (Lyubov’) |
| Japanese | 愛 (Ai) |
| Chinese (Mandarin) | 爱 (Ài) |
| Korean | 사랑 (Sarang) |
| Greek | Αγάπη (Agápi) |
| Dutch | Liefde |
| Swedish | Kärlek |
| Norwegian | Kjærlighet |
| Danish | Kærlighed |
| Finnish | Rakkaus |
| Polish | Miłość |
| Czech | Láska |
| Romanian | Dragoste |
| Hungarian | Szerelem |
| Turkish | Aşk |
| Arabic | حب (Hubb) |
| Hebrew | אהבה (Ahavah) |
| Hindi | प्यार (Pyaar) |
| Bengali | ভালোবাসা (Bhalobasha) |
| Thai | รัก (Rak) |
| Vietnamese | Tình yêu |
| Tagalog | Pag-ibig |
| Swahili | Upendo |
| Zulu | Uthando |
| Afrikaans | Liefde |
| Indonesian | Cinta |
| Malay | Cinta |
| Ukrainian | Кохання (Kokhannya) |
| Bulgarian | Любов (Lyubov) |
| Serbian | Ljubav |
| Croatian | Ljubav |
| Slovenian | Ljubezen |
| Latvian | Mīlestība |
| Lithuanian | Meilė |
| Estonian | Armastus |
| Icelandic | Ást |
| Irish | Grá |
| Welsh | Cariad |
| Scottish Gaelic | Gaol |
| Catalan | Amor |
| Galician | Amor |
| Basque | Maitasuna |
| Maltese | Imħabba |
| Albanian | Dashuri |
| Georgian | სიყვარული (Siqvaruli) |
| Armenian | Սեր (Ser) |
| Kazakh | Махаббат (Makhabbat) |
| Uzbek | Sevgi |
| Azerbaijani | Sevgi |
| Turkmen | Söýgi |
| Kyrgyz | Сүйүү (Süyüü) |
| Tajik | Ишқ (Ishq) |
| Mongolian | Хайр (Khair) |
| Nepali | माया (Maya) |
| Sinhala | ආදරය (Ādaraya) |
| Tamil | அன்பு (Anbu) |
| Telugu | ప్రేమ (Prema) |
| Kannada | ಪ್ರೀತಿ (Prīti) |
| Malayalam | സ്നേഹം (Snēhaṁ) |
| Marathi | प्रेम (Prem) |
| Gujarati | પ્રેમ (Prem) |
| Punjabi | ਪਿਆਰ (Piār) |
| Urdu | محبت (Muhabbat) |
| Pashto | مینه (Mina) |
| Persian | عشق (Eshgh) |
| Kurdish | Evîn |
| Amharic | ፍቅር (Fiqir) |
| Somali | Jacayl |
| Yoruba | Ife |
| Igbo | Ihunanya |
| Hausa | Ƙauna |
| Xhosa | Uthando |
| Maori | Aroha |
| Hawaiian | Aloha |
| Samoan | Alofa |
| Tongan | ‘Ofa |
| Fijian | Loloma |
| Hmong | Hlub |
| Khmer | ស្រឡាញ់ (Srolanh) |
| Lao | ຮັກ (Hak) |
| Burmese | အချစ် (Achit) |
| Tibetan | བརྩེ་བ (Brtse ba) |
| Uyghur | سۆيگۈ (Söygü) |
| Inuktitut | ᑕᑯᑦᓱᒍᓱᑉᐳᖅ (Takutsugusuppuq) |
| Quechua | Munay |
| Guarani | Mborayhu |
| Aymara | Munaña |
| Nahuatl | Tlazohtiliztli |
| Yiddish | ליבע (Libe) |
| Esperanto | Amo |
| Latin | Amor |
| Sanskrit | प्रेम (Prema) |
| Old English | Lufu |
| Middle English | Love |
| Old Norse | Ást |
| Proto-Indo-European | *lewbʰ- |
| Klingon | bang |
| Elvish (Sindarin) | Mîl |
| Dothraki | Athchomar |
| Na’vi | Yawne |
| Vulcan | Ashau |
| Emoji | ❤️ |
| Sign Language (ASL) | 🤟 (ILY sign) |
| Morse Code | .-.. — …- . |
| Binary | 01101100 01101111 01110110 01100101 |
Conclusion
Exploring how different cultures and languages express love gives us a richer view of the world and strengthens our connections with others. We’ve seen that love is universal, but each culture has its own special way of showing it. By learning these different expressions, we can communicate better across cultures and appreciate the world’s diverse cultural tapestry even more.
Benjamin, a content writer at Paige Simple, brings a practical and motivating touch to everything he writes. With a background in psychology and a love for personal growth, Benjamin enjoys helping readers find joy in everyday moments. When he’s not writing, you’ll find him hiking, practicing yoga, or experimenting in the kitchen. Stay tuned for Benjamin’s tips on living a more inspired and joyful life.