'I Love You' in Hebrew: אני אוהב אותך
In Hebrew, "I love you" is אני אוהב אותך — pronounced Ani ohev otach. Here is how to say it right, what the related phrases mean, and when to use them.
Translation
How to say "I Love You" in Hebrew
Romantic Phrases in Hebrew — and What They Mean
| English Phrase | Hebrew Translation |
|---|---|
| I love you |
אני אוהב אותך
|
| Love You |
אוהב אותך
|
| We Love You |
אנחנו אוהבים אותך
|
| I love you so much |
אני כל כך אוהב אותך
|
| Love you so much |
אוהב אותך כל כך
|
| I love you forever |
אני אוהב אותך לנצח
|
| I will always love you |
אני תמיד אוהב אותך
|
| I adore you |
אני מעריץ אותך
|
| You mean the world to me |
אתה כל העולם שלי
|
| Mommy Loves You |
אמא אוהבת אותך
|
| Daddy Loves you |
אבא אוהב אותך
|
| My darling, I love you |
יקירי, אני אוהב אותך
|
| I miss you, my love |
אני מתגעגע אליך, אהובי
|
In Hebrew, "ani ohev otakh" (for a male speaking to a female) reflects the gendered nature of the language. Jewish culture traditionally values love expressed through commitment, loyalty, and acts of kindness (chesed) as much as words.
In Hebrew, expressing "I love you" requires attention to gender. The phrase changes depending on whether the speaker is male or female, and whether the person being addressed is male or female.
How to Pronounce It
- A-NI (stress on NI)
- o-HEV (stress on HEV)
- o-TACH (stress on TACH)
What each word means
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| אני | I |
| אוהב | love (masculine singular speaker) |
| אותך | you (feminine singular listener, object) |
Ways to Say It in Hebrew
Not every version means the same thing. Some are casual, some are serious. Pick the one that matches how you actually feel.
| Phrase | When to use it | Strength |
|---|---|---|
| אני אוהב אותך Ani ohev otach |
Male speaker to a female listener, typically romantic. | strong |
| אני אוהבת אותך Ani ohevet otcha |
Female speaker to a male listener, typically romantic. | strong |
| אני אוהב אותך Ani ohev otcha |
Male speaker to a male listener, romantic or deeply platonic. | strong |
| אני אוהבת אותך Ani ohevet otach |
Female speaker to a female listener, romantic or deeply platonic. | strong |
| אני אוהב/אוהבת אותך מאוד Ani ohev/ohevet otcha/otach me'od |
To family or close friends, expressing deep affection (literally 'I love you very much'). | medium |
A quick grammar note
Hebrew is a gendered language, so the verb 'love' changes based on the speaker's gender ('אוהב' for male, 'אוהבת' for female). The object pronoun 'you' also changes based on the listener's gender ('אותך' for a female, 'אותך' for a male), though they are spelled identically in Hebrew script.
When People Actually Say It
Israelis are generally warm and direct, and expressing love is common within close relationships. "I love you" is used in romantic contexts and also frequently within families. While it's not as casually thrown around as in some Western cultures, it's not reserved only for grand gestures.
- Using the incorrect speaker gender for the verb 'love' (e.g., a female saying 'ohev' instead of 'ohevet').
- Using the incorrect listener gender for the object pronoun 'you' (e.g., saying 'otach' to a male instead of 'otcha').
How it sounds in a real conversation
A:
אני אוהב אותך.
I love you. (Male speaker to female listener)
B:
גם אני אוהבת אותך.
I love you too. (Female speaker to male listener)
Keep Going
Once you can say it out loud, the next step is writing it down. Our AI love letter generator can write a full letter in Hebrew for you, and our collection of love quotes is useful if you want to borrow better words. You can also add the right symbol with our guide to love emoji meanings.