lieben
to love
To feel deep, heartfelt affection for a person, often in romantic or family relationships.
EXAMPLE
Ich liebe dich mehr als alles andere auf der Welt.
I love you more than anything else in the world.
lieben
to love
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Meanings
lieben
to love
To have a strong preference or enthusiasm for a thing, an activity, or a food. It expresses a stronger feeling than just 'mögen' (to like).
EXAMPLE
Sie liebt es, am Wochenende lange zu schlafen.
She loves sleeping in on the weekend.
Usage tips
Accusative object
The verb 'lieben' (to love) is always used with an accusative object. This applies to people as well as to things or activities.
EXAMPLE
Er liebt seine Frau.
He loves his wife.
Strong feeling
'Lieben' (to love) expresses very deep, emotional affection. It is mainly used for one's partner, family, or very close friends and is much stronger than just 'mögen' (to like) or 'gern haben' (to be fond of).
EXAMPLE
Sie liebt ihre Kinder über alles.
She loves her children more than anything.
Sentence structure with 'es'
When you love an activity, you often use the structure 'es lieben, etwas zu tun' (to love doing something). The 'es' introduces an infinitive clause with 'zu' (to).
EXAMPLE
Ich liebe es, am Meer spazieren zu gehen.
I love going for walks by the sea.
Typical collocations
You can 'lieben' (love) not only people, but also things, places, or concepts. Typical examples are: 'Schokolade lieben' (to love chocolate), 'Musik lieben' (to love music), 'die Natur lieben' (to love nature), or 'die Freiheit lieben' (to love freedom).
EXAMPLE
Meine Tochter liebt Tiere, besonders Pferde.
My daughter loves animals, especially horses.
Compare with
lieben vs lieb
nice / dear
Lieb haben and lieben both express strong affection. Lieb haben often sounds more familiar or friendly and is usually somewhat less intense. Lieben can express deeper, especially romantic love, but it is also possible within a family.
lieben
Ich liebe meinen Partner von ganzem Herzen.
I love my partner with all my heart.
lieb
Ich habe meinen guten Freund sehr lieb.
I am very fond of my good friend.
In real life
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