Phrases that matter
How to Say “I Love You” in Hindi
The textbook line is मैं तुमसे प्यार करता हूँ — but the ending changes with your gender, the “you” changes with who you’re saying it to, and in many families the words are rarely said out loud at all. Here’s how to get it right, and what love actually sounds like at home.
In Hindi, “I love you” carries your gender in its last word. Say it wrong and you’ve said something about yourself.
The line itself — and why your gender is in it
The direct translation is मैं तुमसे प्यार करता हूँ (maiṁ tumse pyār kartā hūṁ) — “I love you.” But look at the second-to-last word. A man says करता (kartā); a woman says करती (kartī). The verb agrees with the speaker, not the person you love — so the sentence quietly announces your own gender every time.
So: a man says मैं तुमसे प्यार करता हूँ. A woman says मैं तुमसे प्यार करती हूँ. Everything else stays the same. This करता / करती split runs through all of Hindi, and “I love you” is where learners meet it most tenderly.
The easier line that dodges the gender trap
There’s a second, just-as-natural way to say it that sidesteps the verb ending entirely: मुझे तुमसे प्यार है (mujhe tumse pyār hai) — literally “to me, there is love for you.” Because it’s built on है (hai, “is”) rather than a gendered verb, it comes out the same whether you’re a man or a woman.
For anyone still nervous about करता versus करती, this is the line to lean on. It’s warm, completely idiomatic, and foolproof — मुझे तुमसे प्यार है works for everyone.
Who are you saying it to? तुम vs आप vs तू
The “you” also shifts with closeness. तुमसे (tumse) uses तुम, the warm, standard “you” — right for a partner, a spouse, a close love. That’s the default for romance.
For extra tenderness or intimacy, some couples use तू (tū): मैं तुझसे प्यार करता/करती हूँ. It’s very close and very informal — lovely between intimates, wrong anywhere formal. And the respectful आप? मैं आपसे प्यार करता/करती हूँ does exist — you’ll hear it in older films and in a more formal or reverent kind of love — but for most relationships तुम is where “I love you” lives.
What your family actually says
Here’s the honest part. In a lot of Indian families, those three words are almost never said in Hindi — not because the love isn’t there, but because it was never the custom to announce it. Love shows up as खाना खा लिया? (have you eaten?), as the extra rotli pushed onto your plate, as someone waiting up for you. The feeding is the sentence.
When affection is spoken, it’s often sideways and softer: मुझे तुम्हारी बहुत याद आती है (I miss you so much), तुम मेरी जान हो (you are my life), or just बेटा said in a certain tone. If you want to tell a parent or grandparent you love them, a direct प्यार line can feel strangely formal to them — मैं आपसे बहुत प्यार करता/करती हूँ works, but so does simply showing up, calling more, and letting आप carry the respect.
A few more ways to say it
To pile on warmth: मैं तुमसे बहुत प्यार करता हूँ / करती हूँ — “I love you so much.” (बहुत, bahut, is “very / a lot.”)
To call someone your world: तुम मेरी जान हो (tum merī jān ho) — “you are my life,” the most intense endearment Hindi has. For something poetic, the word shifts to मोहब्बत (mohabbat) or इश्क़ (ishq) — the love of ghazals and film songs, heavier and more lyrical than everyday प्यार. And दिल से (dil se) — “from the heart” — turns any of these from a phrase into a promise.
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Learn to read & write it — free →Questions people ask
How do you say “I love you” in Hindi?
मैं तुमसे प्यार करता हूँ (maiṁ tumse pyār kartā hūṁ) if you’re male, or मैं तुमसे प्यार करती हूँ (…kartī hūṁ) if you’re female — the verb agrees with the speaker’s gender. An easier version that works for everyone is मुझे तुमसे प्यार है (mujhe tumse pyār hai), “to me there is love for you,” which has no gendered ending.
Does “I love you” in Hindi change based on gender?
Yes — but on the speaker’s gender, not the listener’s. A man says करता हूँ, a woman says करती हूँ. The person you’re addressing doesn’t change the verb. If you want to avoid the ending altogether, use मुझे तुमसे प्यार है, which stays the same for any speaker.
Should I use तुम or आप to say I love you?
For a partner or spouse, use तुम — मैं तुमसे प्यार करता/करती हूँ. तू is even more intimate and used by some couples, but it’s very informal. आप (मैं आपसे प्यार करता/करती हूँ) is respectful and heard in older films or a more formal love, but तुम is the normal register for romance.
How do I tell my parents I love them in Hindi?
You can say मैं आपसे बहुत प्यार करता हूँ / करती हूँ, using the respectful आप. But be aware that in many families, love isn’t stated so directly in Hindi — it’s shown through care, feeding and presence. A softer मुझे आपकी बहुत याद आती है (I miss you a lot), or simply calling and showing up, can land as warmly as the words.
What’s the difference between pyaar, mohabbat and ishq?
All three mean love. प्यार (pyār) is the everyday, homely word — family and ordinary affection included. मोहब्बत (mohabbat) is more poetic and romantic, the word of ghazals. इश्क़ (ishq) is the most intense — all-consuming, often spiritual love. For saying “I love you,” प्यार is the natural choice; the other two live mostly in poetry and song.