Let Me Count The Ways “I Love You”… in 10 Different Languages
Jack: “Jill, I love you!”
Jill: “I love you too, Jack.”
Jack: “No, you don’t understand. I said, I love YOU!”
Jill: “And I love YOU too, Jack.”
Jack: “You’re not following me here, baby. I LOVE YOU!”
Jill: “Alrighty then!”
I’m in the mood for love! And what better way to show it than to say it to the love of your life… in different languages (yes, nothing is simple in my world).
For those amorous souls such as Jill and myself, I thought I would share the various ways we say, I love you.
French (Je t’aime)
Some say French is the language of love and romance. I would argue ALL Latin-based languages are (Latin as in, the ‘dead’ language). French is spoken in France as well as over 20 other countries. The phrase je t’aime will communicate your heart’s desire. (Pronunciation here.)
Spanish (Te Amo)
Ah, now we’re talkin’ my language! Seriously, it is my language. Spanish is the official language in 20 countries around the world, which means your chances of falling for someone who speaks it are pretty darn good… especially if they’re Cuban. But I digress. When you want to capture your deepest sentiments for that one special person, te amo will do it (better still if you sing it)! (Pronunciation here.)
German (Ich liebe dich)
Now some might say, how can anything in German sound like love? After all, it is a very ‘intense’ sounding language. But, when love is involved, there are no obstacles. As such, saying “I love you” is somewhat simple; just say ich liebe dich. (Pronunciation here.)
Italian (Ti amo)
Another Latin-based language, aka, another romance language. Regardless of dialects, the phrase ti amo sends a clear message of love. (Pronunciation here.)
Japanese (aishiteru)
In Japanese culture, love is more commonly displayed through gestures than words. If you want to express your affection with words, you will want to say aishiteru. If it’s directed toward a man, end the phrase with yo, and toward a woman, with wa. (Pronunciation here.)
Arabic (ana bahibak )
Talk about old! Arabic is one of the world’s oldest spoken languages. Given the unfortunate negative associations with all things Middle- Eastern these days, let us focus on the positive; love. Multiple words express love in Arabic, but ana bahibak (directed toward a male) and ana bahibik (directed toward a female). (Pronunciation here.)
Portuguese (Eu te amo)
And yet another romance language, Portuguese is spoken around the world from Portugal, to Brazil, to, well, a lot of places. While specific dialects in these countries vary, the phrase eu te amo is universal. (Pronunciation here.)
Mandarin (wǒ ài nǐ)
China has MANY dialects (exactly how many, I am unsure). Mandarin is but one. Still, there are more Mandarin speakers in the world than any other language, which means that learning the phrase wǒ ài nǐ, used to communicate love, ain’t such a bad idea. (Pronunciation here.)
Swahili (Nakupenda)
Swahili is the official language of Tanzania and Kenya and is spoken in many other parts of Africa. By all accounts, it is regarded as one of the easiest African languages for English speakers to learn because words, such as nakupenda, which translates to “I love you”, are pronounced the same way they are written. Go figure. (Pronunciation here.)
Greek (s’agapó)
And the title goes to…
Greek is the world’s oldest recorded living language, with written records spanning back more than 30 centuries. Now that’s a LONG time! Say s’agapó to someone you cherish. (Pronunciation here.)