To say I love you in Turkish, say . It works for a partner, your family and close friends. To make it stronger, add (“very much”): . And when someone says it to you, the answer is (“I love you too”).
| Turkish | Meaning | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| I love you. | Partner, family, close friends | |
| I love you so much. | Warmer, very common | |
| I love you too. | The usual reply | |
| I’m in love with you. | Romantic only | |
| I like you. (I have a crush on you) | Before the big words | |
| I miss you. | Partner, family, friends |
Turkish
- Meaning
- I love you.
- When to use it
- Partner, family, close friends
Turkish
- Meaning
- I love you so much.
- When to use it
- Warmer, very common
Turkish
- Meaning
- I love you too.
- When to use it
- The usual reply
Turkish
- Meaning
- I’m in love with you.
- When to use it
- Romantic only
Turkish
- Meaning
- I like you. (I have a crush on you)
- When to use it
- Before the big words
Turkish
- Meaning
- I miss you.
- When to use it
- Partner, family, friends
Seni seviyorum: what each part means
is two words. is “you” as the object of the verb: sen (you) plus the ending -i. is the verb sevmek (to love) in the present tense: sev- + -iyor (is …-ing) + -um (I). So word for word it says “you I-am-loving”, with the verb at the end, as Turkish verbs always are.
Say it like se-NI se-VI-yo-rum. The v is soft, close to an English “w” for many speakers, and the stress falls lightly on vi.
Seniseviyorum.
Word by word: you, I love.I love you.
Seni çok seviyorum.
I love you so much.
Ben seni seviyorum.
I love you. (It’s me who loves you.)
Sizi seviyoruz!
We love you! (to a group, or a crowd)
You don’t need (I): the ending -um already says it. Adding puts weight on the person: “*I* love you”. In songs you will also hear the order turned around, , which sounds more emotional.
Watch out
Not:Ben seviyorum sen.
Say:Ben seni seviyorum.
The person you love takes the ending -i (seni), and it comes before the verb.
Love or like? sevmek, hoşlanmak and beğenmek
Sevmek covers both “love” and “like”. With people it means love; with things, food and activities it is closer to “like” or “love” in a light way: (“I really love coffee”). When you have a crush, Turks say : (“I like you”). means “to like” in the sense of finding something nice.
Kahveyi çok seviyorum.
I really love coffee.
Senden hoşlanıyorum.
I like you. (I have feelings for you)
Bu şarkıyı beğendim.
I liked this song.
Sana aşığım.
I’m in love with you.
Tip: uses -den (“from you”), not -i: Turkish says you like something *from* someone. Our guide to Turkish cases explains these endings.
Sweet words: canım, aşkım, hayatım and more
Turkish is rich in terms of endearment. Most end in -ım/-im/-um/-üm, which means “my”. Some are only for a partner, and some you will hear between friends and family all day long.
| Turkish | Literally | Who says it |
|---|---|---|
| my soul | Everyone: partners, family, friends, even shopkeepers | |
| my love | Partners | |
| my life | Partners, sometimes parents to children | |
| my sweet | Partners, friends (often women) | |
| my one and only | Partners, parents to children | |
| my baby | Partners |
Turkish
- Literally
- my soul
- Who says it
- Everyone: partners, family, friends, even shopkeepers
Turkish
- Literally
- my love
- Who says it
- Partners
Turkish
- Literally
- my life
- Who says it
- Partners, sometimes parents to children
Turkish
- Literally
- my sweet
- Who says it
- Partners, friends (often women)
Turkish
- Literally
- my one and only
- Who says it
- Partners, parents to children
Turkish
- Literally
- my baby
- Who says it
- Partners
Günaydın canım!
Good morning, dear!
Aşkım, neredesin?
My love, where are you?
Anneciğim, seni çok seviyorum.
Mom, I love you so much.
In Türkiye
Canım is everywhere
is not only romantic. Friends say it to each other, mothers to children, and a friendly shopkeeper might say to a regular customer. Hearing it from a stranger usually just means warmth, nothing more.
Buyurun canım.
Here you go, dear.
How to reply when someone says Seni seviyorum
Ben de seni seviyorum.
I love you too.
Ben seni daha çok seviyorum.
I love you more.
İyi ki varsın.
I’m so glad you’re in my life. (literally: It’s good that you exist)
is one of the warmest things you can say in Turkish, to a partner, a friend or your family. You will also see it in birthday messages: (“Happy birthday, I’m so glad you’re here!”).
More romantic phrases
Seni özledim.
I miss you.
Gözlerin çok güzel.
Your eyes are beautiful.
Sensiz yapamam.
I can’t live without you.
Benimle evlenir misin?
Will you marry me?
Frequently asked questions
How do you say I love you in Turkish? Say (se-NI se-VI-yo-rum). means “I love you so much”.
How do you say I love you too in Turkish? , or just (“me too”).
What does canım mean? Literally “my soul”. It means “dear” and is used with partners, family and friends.
How do you say I miss you in Turkish? , or for “I miss you so much”.
Learn to say it, and much more, in the free lessons
uses two things every Turkish learner meets early: the object ending -i and the present tense -iyor. Both come up in Mitsling’s A1 course, which is free to start, with audio for every phrase. Not sure where to begin? Take the 3-minute level test.
Want to practice out loud? Book 1-on-1 live lessons with Kerem, a native Turkish teacher.