i love you
This phrase is the standard way to express romantic love in Hindi. It literally translates to "I love you," where "main" is "I," "tumse" is "to you," and "pyaar" is "love." The mental image is a direct, heartfelt declaration of affection directed toward a partner or someone you hold very dear. While universal, in Indian culture, this phrase is often treated with more weight than in Western contexts. Depending on the gender of the speaker, the verb ending may change slightly (e.g., "karta hoon" for males, "karti hoon" for females), though the core phrase remains widely understood and used across all genders.
In conversation
A confession on a date
Main tumse bahut pyaar karta hoon.
I love you very much.
Main bhi tumse pyaar karti hoon.
I love you too.
Note the masculine 'karta' and feminine 'karti' verb endings.
Messaging a partner
Yaad aa rahi hai tumhari. Main tumse pyaar karta hoon.
I am missing you. I love you.
Aww, main bhi!
Aww, me too!
Used here as a simple, sweet text message.
Examples
Main tumse pyaar karta hoon.
I love you. (spoken by a male)
Mujhe tumse pyaar hai, kya tum mujhse pyaar karti ho?
I am in love with you, do you love me? (asking a female)
Vah keval ek dost nahi hai, main sach mein usse pyaar karta hoon.
She is not just a friend, I truly love her.
