Being from the land of Bollywood – the cinema land famous for churning out ‘oh so romantic’ films year after year, I feel I am the best person to tell anyone how to say I love you in Hindi.
You see, nothing can beat the expressions of this beautiful Hindi language when it comes to romance, passion, and mush. Why? Because it takes the best vocabulary from Sanskrit and Persian to come up with gorgeous phrases that sound music to the ears.
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Saying I Love You In Hindi
The most straight and literal way of saying “I love you” in Hindi is main tumse pyaar karta hoon (मैं तुमसे प्यार करता हूँ). Of course, you will use this phrase if you are male. That’s because, in Hindi, verb endings change depending on the gender of the speaker. So, if you are a female, you will instead say, main tumse pyaar karti hoon (मैं तुमसे प्यार करती हूँ).
Let us break down this sentence into units to learn what each word means:
main (I) + tum + (you) + se (with) + pyaar (love) + karta/ karti (do) + hoon (auxiliary verb to be)
This is the basic and simplest way you tell someone that you love them using the Hindi language. But there is another way of saying I love You in Hindi, which doesn’t have you breaking your head over masculine or feminine verb endings. Simply say: mujhe tumse pyaar hai (मुझे तुमसे प्यार है). It could be roughly translated into English as “I am in love with you.”
Romantic Hindi Phrases For Your Partner
Expressing love in your partner’s native language can create a profound connection and we already know how we can express romantic love for someone using a Hindi phrase. But as a non-native Hindi speaker, you can express your love using many different phrases, too. This way, you will show your sincerity, respect and dedication while at the same time flexing your foreign language skills. Isn’t that a win-win situation?
Endearing Nicknames And Love-Related Vocabulary In Hindi
Let’s first learn some endearing and affectionate terms that you can use to call your partner. They could be your jaan (जान – life/beloved) or jaaneman (जानेमन – love of life). Shona (शोना) is a cutesy way of calling someone your beloved. Terms like jaan-e-jahaan (जान-ए-जहां – most beloved in the world) will melt any Hindi speaker’s heart.
Here are some words that will come handy when you talk about love to your beloved.
| English | Hindi | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Love | प्यार/ प्रेम | Pyaar/ Prem (textbook Hindi) |
| Heart | दिल | Dil |
| Romance | आशिक़ी | Aashiqui |
| Romantic | रूमानी | Roomani |
| Lover | प्रेमी /प्रेमिका | Premi (m)/ Premika (f) |
| Beloved | प्रिय | Priya |
| Passion | जुनून | Junoon |
| Intense | गहरा | Gehara |
Poetic And Figurative Ways To Profess Your Love
Hindi has a rich and vast literary tradition, with centuries-old literature and poetry that seep into its current music, dance, and other art expressions. So, you can never be boring when it comes to expressing your feelings of love.
Sample this: tum mere dil ki dharkanon mein basti ho (तुम मेरे दिल की धड़कनों में बसती हो – you reside in the beats of my heart). Say this to your female partner. But if your partner is male, change basti to baste since this action verb (baste – to reside) is being performed by the object who is male.
Here are some more expressions to express love in Hindi.
| English | Hindi | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| I love you with all my heart | मैं तुम्हें अपने पूरे दिल से चाहता/चाहती हूँ। | Main tumhein apne poore dil se chaahta/chaahti hoon. |
| You are my first love. | तुम मेरा पहला प्यार हो। | Tum mera pehala pyaar ho. |
| I love you with a passion. | मैं तुम्हें पूरी शिद्दत से चाहता/ चाहती हूँ। | Main tumhein poori shiddat se chaahta/ chaahti hoon. |
| I love you so much. | मैं तुमसे बेइन्तहा प्यार करता/करती हूँ। | Main tumse beinteha pyaar karta/ karti hoon. |
| I am in love with you. | मुझे तुमसे प्यार है। | Mujhe tumse pyaar hai. |
What Is The Difference Between I Like You And I Love You In Hindi?
To tell someone that you like them, you can say: Main tumhein pasand karta hoon (मैं तुम्हें पसंद करता हूँ – I like you) if you are a man. If you are a woman, say: Main tumhein pasand karti hoon (मैं तुम्हें पसंद करती हूँ).
You can also say: Mujhe tum pasand ho ( मुझे तुम पसंद हो – I like you), gender doesn’t count. The Hindi word for like is pasand. If you are apprehensive about using the L word (love, of course!), then saying “I like you” is how you take the baby steps. People also say tum mujhe pasand ho – but it means the same thing, they have just interchanged the subject and object within the sentence. Also, tum mujhe pasand ho is the more colloquial way of expressing your like.
Immersive Hindi Learning To Express Love
The best way for anyone to learn Hindi for romantic relationships is through full cultural immersion. Here are some tips you can use to immerse yourself in the Hindi language and its culture.
1. Incorporate Hindi Into Daily Conversations
You can start using simple phrases and sentences like aap kitne khoobsurat lagte hain, which means “how beautiful you look!” with your partner, and build from there. One day you will reach the point where you will easily tell them: teri khaamoshiyan bhi khoobsurat hain (even your silence is beautiful).
2. Watch Hindi Romantic Movies And Listen To Hindi Songs
Films like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Kuchh Kuchh Hota Hai, Veer Zaara, Jab We Met are considered cult classic romantic movies in India. These films have defined love and romance for an entire generation. What makes them even more romantic is the Hindi songs used in them.
Hindi films – or Bollywood as we know it – are popular for their song-and-dance numbers. Though it might look cringey or too dramatic for people not used to such filmmaking, even then, try listening to some Hindi songs. These are made great not only because of the music but because of great, profound, soul-stirring lyrics. The way the relationship with a beloved is described in so many of these songs is going to melt you into a puddle of mush!
Another plus point is that you get to learn more words in the Hindi language in a cultural context and that makes a huge difference to your learning journey.
Here is a list of Hindi songs to help you talk about love or profess your love:
- Pyaar hua chupke se – The song describes the gush of first love, how it seeps gradually into the girl’s life, and bam, life has become beautiful!
- Ek ladki ko dekha toh aisa laga – The first thrill of seeing the lovely maiden and falling in love with her charm and beauty.
- Baahon ke darmiyaan, do pyaar mil rahe hain – These oh-so-evocative lyrics describe how it feels to be in your beloved’s embrace.
- Tum tak – The lyrics are almost spiritual. They talk about surrendering in love, where the line blurs between the beloved and God.
- Ishq sufiyana – This song with Sufi undertones talks about how the love between the two lovers is spiritual.
3. Attend Language Classes Or Find A Hindi Language App
Taking structured Hindi lessons or conversing with a native speaker helps ingrain grammar and pronunciation. However, attending classes is not everyone’s cup of tea. It could be restrictive in so many ways. Using language apps like the Ling app helps you contextually learn Hindi.
Plus, you get to hear audio recordings by actual Hindi native speakers that help you understand the accent, pronunciation, and tone. You can try the free lessons by downloading it from the Google Play Store or App Store.
Cultural Tips For Romantic Relationships
To truly embrace your partner’s culture, you need to familiarize yourself with societal norms around love and relationships in the Hindi-speaking region.
- Understand the gender roles and expectations: There are still certain traditional ideas around female and male dynamics that you should be aware of while dating someone from a Hindi household. Boys are still expected to initiate the advances when it comes to love.
- Navigate the generational differences in attitudes towards love with respect and caution: The ideas around love and intimacy can differ vastly between younger and older generations. Being mindful of this gap is crucial.
- Be mindful of expressing affection in public versus private settings: PDA is generally seen as unbecoming in traditional settings. So being careful about what is appropriate in different contexts is really helpful.
To Sum Up
As the ancient Sanskrit shloka says, Vāk sarvāshrayi – language is the basis of everything. The journey of learning a new language and culture is life-long. With dedication and an open mind, you can really make a difference in your Hindi learning journey.
When you express your love in your partner’s mother tongue, you create a deeper bond with them as it shows your dedication, sincerity, and care. Through romantic phrases, cultural etiquette, immersive learning, and appreciating the nuances of this beautiful language – Hindi, you can truly embrace the language of love. After all, dil ki baat dil hi jaane (only the heart understands the words of the heart), right?
