Feb 2, 2020
In german we have two phrases that mean “I love you”
First there’s “ich liebe dich” which is pretty straightforward literally “I love you” which you use for your spouses and children etc but can also be used to express your love for food or objects
And there’s “ich hab dich lieb” which can be translated to “you are dear to me” you only use this for people (and maybe pets) and it’s commonly used for friends because it doesn’t necessarily have the romantic implication that the other expression has, although you can also use it for your spouse (especially if you just started dating and the straight “I love you” feels to soon)