lieben
Meaning and Usage
"Lieben" means "to love" in German. It is used to express affection and deep care for someone or something. It can refer to romantic love, familial love, or love for an object or activity.
Linguistic Analysis
"lieben" is a verb. It doesn't have a prefix or suffix and is derived from the Old High German word "liubi" which means "dear" or "loved".
Comparisons between German and English
The German word "lieben" corresponds to the English word "to love," and they share the same meaning and usage.
Cultural Context
In German culture, the word "lieben" is used not only in romantic contexts but also to express love and affection for family members, friends, and even favorite activities or places.
Example Sentences
- Ich liebe dich. (I love you.)
- Sie liebt ihre Katze über alles. (She loves her cat more than anything.)
- Er liebt es, in den Bergen zu wandern. (He loves hiking in the mountains.)
Memory Tips
Associate "lieben" with the idea of "love" and think of instances where you can use this word to express affection towards someone or something.
Additional Vocabulary
- Liebe (noun) - love
- Liebesbrief (noun) - love letter
- lieblich (adjective) - lovely
Gender and Plural (for nouns)
N/A
Conjugation (for verbs)
- ich liebe (I love)
- du liebst (you love)
- er/sie/es liebt (he/she/it loves)
- wir lieben (we love)
- ihr liebt (you love - plural)
- sie lieben (they love)