Why Not Everything You Love Is Liebe

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ā€œI Love Youā€ = ā€œI Love Chocolateā€? Really?

In English, we love everything.

We love our partners.
We love pizza.
We love rainy days, and dogs, and movies.
We even ā€œloveā€ Mondays… sometimes.

One word — love ā€” is used for all of it.
But is it really the same feeling?

In this article, we’ll explore how different languages — German, Spanish, Ukrainian, Russian — help us separate real love from emotional habits.
And why this matters for anyone learning to communicate deeply, not just fluently.

German: Where Words Respect Meaning

In German, you don’t ā€œloveā€ chocolate.

You like it. You enjoy it. You prefer it. But you don’t lieben it — unless you’re joking or being ironic.

VerbExampleMeaning
liebenIch liebe dichDeep, personal, emotional love — romantic or family-based
mƶgenIch mag SchokoladeI like chocolate — neutral and honest
gern habenIch habe dich gernSoft affection; caring deeply, often among friends or family
gern essen / gern machenIch esse das gernI enjoy eating this — pleasure without emotional weight

This linguistic boundary teaches emotional precision.
It shows that Germans don’t overuse deep words. And perhaps we shouldn’t either.

Spanish: Passion in Layers

Spanish offers more texture than English — and more caution than you might expect.

PhraseTranslationUsage
Te amoI love youDeep, romantic, serious; not for casual use
Te quieroI care for you / I love youSofter, affectionate, used with family and partners
Me gustasI like youFlirtatious, initial attraction
Me encanta el chocolateI love chocolateLiterally: ā€œIt enchants meā€ — stronger than ā€œme gustaā€, but still safe for chocolate

You’ll rarely hear a Spanish speaker say ā€œte amoā€ to a dessert.
They save that phrase for something real. And permanent.

Ukrainian and Russian: One Verb, Many Worlds

In both Ukrainian and Russian, the verb ā€œto loveā€ exists — but the rules around it are subtle.

LanguagePhraseNuance
UkrainianŠÆ тебе Š»ŃŽŠ±Š»ŃŽ / ŠÆ тебе ŠŗŠ¾Ń…Š°ŃŽŠšŠ¾Ń…Š°Ń‚Šø = romantic; Š»ŃŽŠ±ŠøŃ‚Šø = family, friendship, general fondness
RussianŠÆ Ń‚ŠµŠ±Ń Š»ŃŽŠ±Š»ŃŽCan mean romantic love, but also used more broadly
UkrainianŠœŠµŠ½Ń– ŠæŠ¾Š“Š¾Š±Š°Ń”Ń‚ŃŒŃŃ шоколаГI like chocolate — no emotional confusion
RussianМне Š½Ń€Š°Š²ŠøŃ‚ся шоколаГSame — clear separation between person and thing

In both languages, the emotional weight of love can be heavy. That’s why people often avoid saying it unless they mean it — really.

Why It Matters When Learning a Language

You may think it’s harmless to say ā€œI love this!ā€ about everything.
But over time, it weakens your emotional vocabulary.

If you ā€œloveā€ chocolate, your dog, your job, and your partner — how do we know which one matters?

Other languages teach us a valuable lesson:

Don’t say ā€œloveā€ when you mean ā€œlikeā€.
And don’t say ā€œlikeā€ when you mean ā€œneedā€.
Words matter. Emotion matters more.

That’s why language learning is emotional training. Not just vocabulary.

What We Really Teach at Our School

At Levitin Language School, we don’t just teach grammar.
We help you develop emotional fluency.

You’ll learn to:

  • Distinguish love from habit.
  • Say what you feel — and mean it.
  • Understand how native speakers express affection, preference, and intimacy.

Because real communication isn’t about how many words you know.
It’s about how honestly you use them.

Coming Next in This Series

ā€œFrom Boy to Man: How Men Say ā€˜I Love You’ at Every Age — or Don’t.ā€

We’ll explore how boys, teenagers, and adult men express (or suppress) feelings — and how language evolves with identity.


Ā© Tymur Levitin ā€” Founder, Teacher & Translator
Start Language School by Tymur Levitin / Levitin Language School

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