How to Say "I Love You" in All Slavic Languages
Love is universal. But how you say "I love you" across the Slavic world? That's where things get beautifully complicated.
Whether you're texting a Polish crush, watching a Russian romance, or just curious about linguistic patterns, this guide breaks down the phrase in all 20 Slavic languages—with pronunciation tips, cultural notes, and the grammar quirks that make each one special.
The Big Three: Russian, Polish, Ukrainian
Russian: Я тебя люблю
Pronunciation: ya tee-BYA lyu-BLYU Literal translation: I you love
Grammar note: Russians flip the word order. Instead of "I love you," it's "I you love" (Я тебя люблю). The pronoun тебя (you, accusative case) comes before the verb. Sounds awkward in English but feels natural in Russian.
Cultural tip: Russians don't throw this phrase around lightly. It's heavy. Casual dating? You'll hear Ты мне нравишься (you're pleasing to me) instead. Save люблю for the real deal.
Polish: Kocham cię
Pronunciation: KO-ham cheh Literal translation: (I) love you
Grammar note: Polish drops the pronoun ja (I) because the verb kocham already tells you it's first-person singular. The cię (you, accusative) is the short, clitic form of ciebie. In writing, you'll sometimes see Kocham Cię with a capital C for emphasis or in poetry.
Cultural tip: Poles are more casual with this than Russians but less than Americans. It's romantic, not something you say to friends or family (for that, use Kocham cię only to partners/kids, or say Bardzo cię lubię - I like you a lot).
Ukrainian: Я тебе кохаю
Pronunciation: ya TEH-beh ko-HA-yu Literal translation: I you love
Grammar note: Notice the verb is кохаю (kohayu), not Russian's люблю. Both come from different Proto-Slavic roots. Ukrainian uses кохати (to love romantically) vs. любити (to love/like generally). Word order mirrors Russian.
Cultural tip: Ukrainians will absolutely sing this to you. Folk songs are full of кохаю. It's warm, poetic, less guarded than Russian.
South Slavic: Where "Love" Gets Spicy
Serbian/Croatian/Bosnian: Volim te
Pronunciation: VO-leem teh Literal translation: (I) love you
Grammar note: Serbo-Croatian is economical. Two words, done. The verb volim covers "I love," and te is the short clitic form of tebe (you). In Cyrillic (Serbian): Волим те.
Cultural tip: Balkan love songs will destroy you emotionally. Volim te shows up in sevdah, turbo-folk, and poetic inscriptions on Sarajevo bridges. It's passionate but also... slightly dramatic. Expect metaphors involving rakija and moonlight.
Bulgarian: Обичам те
Pronunciation: o-BEE-cham teh Literal translation: (I) love you
Grammar note: Bulgarian uses обичам (obicham) from the root обич (love/affection). Like Polish, it drops the pronoun. Unlike most Slavic languages, Bulgarian has definite articles (e.g., момчето = the boy), but they don't appear here.
Cultural tip: Bulgarians might also say Много те обичам (I love you very much) or the more intense Обожавам те (I adore you). Roses and Shopska salad may be involved.
Macedonian: Те сакам
Pronunciation: teh SA-kam Literal translation: You (I) love
Grammar note: Macedonian flips the order—те (you) comes first, then сакам (I love/want). This word сакам also means "I want," so context matters. The root is from сакање (desire/love).
Cultural tip: Macedonians are direct. Те сакам hits hard and fast. Also works for friends/family, not just romantic love.
Slovene: Ljubim te
Pronunciation: LYOO-beem teh Literal translation: (I) love you
Grammar note: Clean and simple. Verb ljubim (I love) + clitic pronoun te (you). Slovene keeps grammatical dual number (a form for "two things"), but it doesn't show up here.
Cultural tip: Slovenes are reserved. Saying Ljubim te means something. You'll more often hear Rad te imam (I have you dear) in casual contexts.
West Slavic: Czech & Slovak Variations
Czech: Miluji tě
Pronunciation: MI-loo-yee tyeh Literal translation: (I) love you
Grammar note: The verb miluji comes from milovat (to love). The tě (you, accusative) is the short form. Czechs rarely use the full tebe. You might also hear Mám tě rád/ráda (I have you dear, m/f) for a softer, everyday affection.
Cultural tip: Czechs are pragmatic. Miluji tě is serious. Beer and honesty come first; grand declarations come later.
Slovak: Ľúbim ťa
Pronunciation: LYOO-beem t'ya Literal translation: (I) love you
Grammar note: Almost identical to Czech but with that gorgeous Slovak soft ľ and ť. The verb ľúbim (I love) and pronoun ťa (you, accusative). Like Czech, you'll also hear Mám ťa rád/rada.
Cultural tip: Slovaks are warmer than Czechs. Ľúbim ťa in a Slovak village feels like being wrapped in a wool blanket and fed halušky.
The Eastern Outliers
Belarusian: Я цябе люблю
Pronunciation: ya tsya-BEH lyu-BLYU Literal translation: I you love
Grammar note: Close to Russian but with цябе (you) instead of тебя. Belarusian preserves older Slavic phonetics—notice the ц (ts) sound. The verb люблю is cognate with Russian.
Cultural tip: Belarusian is poetic and underused (most Belarusians speak Russian daily). Saying Я цябе люблю in Belarusian is a cultural statement as much as a romantic one.
Rusyn: Люблю тя
Pronunciation: lyu-BLYU tya Literal translation: (I) love you
Grammar note: Rusyn (Carpathian Rusyn) sits between Ukrainian and Slovak. The verb любити is similar to Ukrainian, but the pronoun тя (you) is distinct. Dialects vary wildly.
Cultural tip: Rusyn is a minority language fighting for recognition. Speaking it = preserving identity. Люблю тя carries historical weight.
Sorbian: The Tiny Survivors
Upper Sorbian: Lubuju ći
Pronunciation: loo-BOO-yu chee
Lower Sorbian: Lubujo śi
Pronunciation: loo-BOO-yo shee
Grammar note: Sorbian languages (spoken by ~20,000 people in eastern Germany) preserve archaic Slavic features. The verb lubować (to love) and clitic pronouns ći/śi (you).
Cultural tip: If someone says this to you in Sorbian, marry them. You've found one of the last speakers of a dying language.
The Romance vs. Obligation Divide
Here's a pattern: Most Slavic languages have two verbs for love:
- Romantic/deep love: Russian любить, Polish kochać, Czech milovat
- General affection/liking: Russian нравиться, Polish lubić, Czech mít rád
| Language | Romantic Love | General Like |
|---|---|---|
| Russian | любить (lyubit') | нравиться (nravitsya) |
| Polish | kochać (kochać) | lubić (lubić) |
| Czech | milovat (milovat) | mít rád (meet rahd) |
| Ukrainian | кохати (kokhaty) | любити (lyubyty) |
Why? Slavic cultures historically distinguish passionate love from warm affection. Saying люблю in Russian to a friend sounds bizarre; you'd use люблю only for family or a partner.
Formal vs. Informal "You"
In most Slavic languages, you'll encounter T-V distinction (informal vs. formal "you"):
- Russian: Я тебя люблю (informal) vs. Я Вас люблю (formal - rare, sounds like a period drama)
- Polish: Kocham cię (informal) vs. Kocham Panią/Pana (formal - awkward)
- Czech: Miluji tě (informal) vs. Miluji Vás (formal - only if you're professing love to your boss?)
Pro tip: Romance = always informal ty/ты/cię. Using formal Vy/Вы/Wy in a love confession sounds hilariously stiff.
Quick Reference Chart: All 20 Slavic Languages
| Language | Phrase | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Russian | Я тебя люблю | ya tee-BYA lyu-BLYU |
| Ukrainian | Я тебе кохаю | ya TEH-beh ko-HA-yu |
| Belarusian | Я цябе люблю | ya tsya-BEH lyu-BLYU |
| Polish | Kocham cię | KO-ham cheh |
| Czech | Miluji tě | MI-loo-yee tyeh |
| Slovak | Ľúbim ťa | LYOO-beem t'ya |
| Upper Sorbian | Lubuju ći | loo-BOO-yu chee |
| Lower Sorbian | Lubujo śi | loo-BOO-yo shee |
| Slovene | Ljubim te | LYOO-beem teh |
| Serbian | Волим те | VO-leem teh |
| Croatian | Volim te | VO-leem teh |
| Bosnian | Volim te | VO-leem teh |
| Montenegrin | Volim te | VO-leem teh |
| Bulgarian | Обичам те | o-BEE-cham teh |
| Macedonian | Те сакам | teh SA-kam |
| Rusyn | Люблю тя | lyu-BLYU tya |
| Kashubian | Kòchóm ce | KO-hom tseh |
| Pomak | Обичам те | o-BEE-cham teh |