Short answer: "I love you" in German is Ich liebe dich.
Ich liebe dich, the core translation
The default way to say "I love you" in German is Ich liebe dich. Pronounced roughly ish LEE-buh dish.
When German speakers actually use it
Germans use this word sparingly. When it's said, it means it.
Practice this in a real German conversation
Reading a phrase and saying it out loud are two different skills. Skala's AI conversations let you drop "Ich liebe dich" into a real German exchange in your first 3-minute lesson, so it sticks the first time.
Start learning German today
Skala is free on iOS and Android. One 3-minute German lesson gets you your first 0.1%. Show up daily and the % climbs. That's the whole method.
FAQ
What's the most polite way to say "I love you" in German?
Ich liebe dich is the safe polite option in every register. Tone of voice does more work than word choice in German.
How do I pronounce Ich liebe dich?
Roughly ish LEE-buh dish. Recording yourself once and comparing to a native audio inside Skala closes the gap faster than reading pronunciation guides.