der Liebling
favorite
A person, animal, or thing that one especially likes and prefers over others.
EXAMPLE
Der jüngste Sohn war schon immer der Liebling der Großmutter.
The youngest son had always been the grandmother's favorite.
der Liebling
favorite / darling
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Meanings
Liebling
darling
An affectionate form of address for a person who is very close to you, such as your partner or your own child.
EXAMPLE
„Liebling, kommst du bitte zum Abendessen?“, rief sie.
"Darling, could you please come to dinner?" she called.
Usage tips
Productive prefix 'Lieblings-'
The stem of the word is used as the prefix 'Lieblings-' to form countless new words meaning 'favorite.' You can combine it with almost any noun to describe your favorite thing.
EXAMPLE
Mein Lieblingsbuch ist „Der Herr der Ringe“.
My favorite book is "The Lord of the Rings."
Grammatical gender
The word 'der Liebling' (favorite) is always masculine, even when it refers to a female person or a thing. Adjectives and articles are declined accordingly.
EXAMPLE
Obwohl sie ein Mädchen ist, ist sie der Liebling der ganzen Familie.
Although she is a girl, she is the favorite of the whole family.
Showing belonging
To express whose favorite someone is, you often use the genitive or a 'von' construction. The genitive sounds somewhat more formal.
EXAMPLE
Er ist der Liebling der Chefin.
He is the boss's favorite.
Use as a form of address
When 'Liebling' (darling) is used as a form of address for someone close to you, it usually appears without an article. It then functions like a name.
EXAMPLE
Kannst du mir helfen, Liebling?
Can you help me, darling?
Compare with
Liebling vs Liebe
love
Both Liebe and Liebling can refer to a beloved person. Liebling is usually an ordinary term of endearment, while Liebe occurs especially in direct forms of address such as “Meine Liebe” and can also sound condescending, depending on the tone. For a neutral term of endearment, Liebling is the better choice.
Liebling
Mein Liebling, kannst du mir bitte kurz helfen?
My darling, could you help me for a moment, please?
Liebe
Meine Liebe, kannst du mir bitte kurz helfen?
My love, could you help me for a moment, please?
In real life
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