How to Say "I Love You" in Russian

By Daily Cyrillic · Updated

“I Love You” in Russian is я тебя люблю (ya tebyá lyublyú). Use this expression as your starting point, then check the examples for tone, formality and context. Listen to the pronunciation, notice the stressed syllable and compare the common variants before choosing the wording that fits your conversation.

Reading time: about 3 min.

Russian
я тебя люблю
Transliteration
ya tebyá lyublyú
Meaning
I love you (informal)

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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.

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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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