How to Say I Love You in Greek

How to pronounce σ' αγαπώ

Three syllables that flow together: sah-gah-POH, with the stress landing on the final syllable. The apostrophe in σ' αγαπώ shows that σε ('you') has lost its e and joined onto αγαπώ, which is what makes it sound like a single word rather than two.

A few things to keep in mind:

• The stress on the last syllable is what gives it that soft, sincere landing; don't rush past it
• Γ before an α is a soft throaty sound, not a hard English 'g', so it comes out closer to 'sah-ghah-POH' than 'sah-gah-POH' with a hard g
• In writing, σε αγαπώ (unelided) and σ' αγαπώ (elided) are both correct; spoken Greek almost always elides

Different words for different loves

Greek famously has more than one word for love, and the verb you pick shapes how the feeling lands. Αγαπώ is the deep, committed kind of love, the one you use with a partner, parents, children, or your closest people. Λατρεύω goes further into adoration or devotion, and can also be used more lightly (*λατρεύω τον καφέ*, 'I adore coffee').

At the other end of the scale sit gentler expressions:

• Μ' αρέσεις ('I like you'), for the early stages of attraction
• Σε συμπαθώ (se sibathó), 'I have a soft spot for you', warm but not romantic
• Σε σκέφτομαι ('I'm thinking of you'), a tender halfway house

Jumping straight to σ' αγαπώ on a first date would land heavy, so Greeks tend to build up through these softer forms first.

Family, friends, and partners

Σ' αγαπώ isn't reserved for romance. It's said freely to parents, children, siblings, and closest friends, and hearing a Greek grandmother end a call with a warm *σ' αγαπώ* is completely ordinary.

A few natural pairings:

• Σ' αγαπώ πολύ ('I love you very much') to warm it up
• Σας αγαπώ to two or more people you love, like a family group
• Είσαι η αγάπη μου ('you are my love'), affectionate and romantic
• Καληνύχτα, σ' αγαπώ ('good night, I love you') as a sign-off

Adding πολύ or πάρα πολύ works exactly like it does with thank you: it turns a routine sign-off into something that sounds like you mean it.

A note on σε θέλω

You might come across σε θέλω (se thélo), literally 'I want you'. It exists, but it lives firmly on the romantic-to-physical end of the spectrum, so it's not a general-purpose 'I love you' and would land oddly with a parent or a friend.

If you're expressing romantic feeling and want something warmer than σ' αγαπώ without the weight of σε θέλω, είσαι η αγάπη μου or σε λατρεύω both do the job beautifully.