crush
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crush
A person for whom you have a strong, often secret romantic infatuation. The term is used especially in youth slang.
Sie hat mir erzählt, dass der neue Mitschüler ihr Crush ist.
She told me that the new classmate is her crush.
'Crush' is a word from youth slang and is used mainly by younger people. In more formal contexts or among older speakers, the term is uncommon.
Meine kleine Schwester redet nur noch von ihrem neuen Crush aus der Schule.
My little sister only talks about her new crush from school now.
You can use the word in two ways: either a person is 'jemandes Crush' (someone's crush), or you 'hat einen Crush auf jemanden' (have a crush on someone). The first variant names the person; the second describes the feeling.
Der Sänger dieser Band ist mein heimlicher Crush.
The singer of this band is my secret crush.
When describing the feeling of infatuation, use the fixed construction 'einen Crush haben auf' (to have a crush on), followed by the person in the accusative.
Sie hat einen Crush auf den neuen Nachbarn.
She has a crush on the new neighbor.
love
'die Liebe' and 'der Crush' can both have to do with romantic feelings for a person. 'die Liebe' is a general and neutral word for a deep feeling, or also for a beloved person. 'der Crush' is youth slang and usually means a person you are infatuated with, often secretly or when there is not yet a relationship. You can also say 'einen Crush auf jemanden haben' (to have a crush on someone). Learners may confuse the words because a crush can feel like love. Still, 'Crush' is usually lighter, more casual, and more strongly connected with infatuation; 'Liebe' sounds more serious and deeper.
Sie hat einen Crush auf den neuen Schüler aus ihrer Klasse.
She has a crush on the new student in her class.
Nach vielen gemeinsamen Jahren ist ihre Liebe noch immer stark.
After many years together, their love is still strong.