lieben
to love (someone) · to love (something), to like very much
Lieben means 'to love' and is used for people, things, and activities. It expresses strong affection or enjoyment, similar to English 'love', but Germans often use 'gern haben' or 'mögen' for milder liking.
What lieben means
- to love (someone) — Expressing deep affection for a person, e.g., romantic love or family love.
- to love (something), to like very much — Expressing strong enjoyment of an activity, food, place, etc.
Heard in real German videos
Lines where lieben was actually spoken, from German videos watched with DeutschChat.
- Peppa und Schorsch lieben den Strand.Peppa and George love the beach.
Example sentences
- Ich liebe dich.I love you.
- Wir lieben Schokolade.We love chocolate.
- Er liebt es, Fußball zu spielen.He loves playing soccer.
- Sie liebt ihren Beruf.She loves her job.
Grammar
| Present (ich/du/er) | liebe / liebst / liebt |
|---|---|
| Simple past | liebte |
| Perfect | hat geliebt |
| Separable | no |
| Case | accusative |
Lieben is a regular weak verb. The perfect tense uses 'haben'.
Common phrases
- Ich liebe dichI love you
- etwas liebento love something
- jemanden liebento love someone
- lieb habento be fond of, to like (less intense than lieben)
The mistake English speakers make
English speakers often use 'lieben' for mild liking, e.g., 'Ich liebe Pizza' when they mean 'I like pizza'. In German, 'lieben' is strong; use 'mögen' or 'gern haben' for weaker preferences.
Don’t confuse it with
- mögen — Mögen means 'to like' and is less intense than lieben, which means 'to love'.
- gern haben — Gern haben expresses affection or liking but is weaker than lieben.
Questions learners ask
What is the difference between 'lieben' and 'mögen'?
'Lieben' means 'to love' and is stronger than 'mögen', which means 'to like'. Use 'lieben' for deep affection or strong enjoyment.
How do you conjugate 'lieben' in the present tense?
ich liebe, du liebst, er/sie/es liebt, wir lieben, ihr liebt, sie/Sie lieben.
Is 'lieben' a regular verb?
Yes, 'lieben' is a regular weak verb. Its past tense is 'liebte' and past participle is 'geliebt'.