How to Say "I Love You" in Russian

"I love you" in Russian is я тебя люблю (ya tebyá lyublyú). The word order is flexible, and one small swap turns it from intimate to formal - here is exactly how to say it and mean it.

In Russian

я тебя люблю

ya tebyá lyublyú - I love you (informal)

Variants & registers

я люблю тебяya lyublyú tebyá
I love you - same meaning, neutral word order
informal
я вас люблюya vas lyublyú
I love you - formal or to more than one person
formal / plural
я тебя обожаюya tebyá obozháyu
I adore you - stronger and playful
affectionate
ты мне нравишьсяty mne nrávishsya
I like you - lighter, for early dating
casual

Breakdown & pronunciation

Word by word

яya
I
тебяtebyá
you (object form of ты)
люблюlyublyú
love (I-form of любить)

Pronunciation

люблю has a soft л twice and the stress on the last syllable: lyub-LYOO. тебя is tye-BYA, stress on the last syllable. Take the л softly - it is the trickiest sound here for English speakers.

Example sentences

Я тебя люблю.
Ya tebyá lyublyú.
I love you.
Я люблю тебя всем сердцем.
Ya lyublyú tebyá vsem sérdtsem.
I love you with all my heart.
Ты мне очень нравишься.
Ty mne óchen nrávishsya.
I like you a lot.
Я тебя обожаю!
Ya tebyá obozháyu!
I adore you!

Usage & etiquette

Because Russian verbs and pronouns carry the meaning, you can move the words around: я тебя люблю and я люблю тебя are equally correct, with only a slight shift in emphasis.

Use тебя for one person you are close to (the ты relationship). Switch to я вас люблю only when you mean it formally or to several people - it is rare in a romantic context. For early dating, ты мне нравишься ("I like you") is the softer, lower-stakes choice.

Practice

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FAQ

How do you say "I love you" in Russian?

"I love you" in Russian is я тебя люблю (ya tebyá lyublyú). The word order is flexible - я люблю тебя means exactly the same thing.

How do you pronounce люблю?

Say lyub-LYOO with a soft "l" both times and the stress on the final syllable. The soft л is the hardest part for English speakers - let the tongue touch just behind the teeth.

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