I Love You

We wanted to write this one for you for Valentine's Day, but this is one of those marriage subjects that is good any day. Those three key words that we hope you will say often to one another ... "I love you." You may have heard before that our American English only has one word for love. We love chocolate, warm weather, a back rub ... and our beloved. But surely the way you love those first three is nothing like the love you have for your betrothed. Yet the word is the same. Greeks have a few different words for love: agape (unconditional), phileo (brotherly) and eros (erotic) among others. I read somewhere that ancient Sanskrit and Persian had 96 and 80 words each for love. That's a lot of distinction. And with 6,500+ languages in the world, there are at least that many ways to say, "I love you." While saying it in English is enough, it would sure be sweet to stretch your mind a little bit and learn how to say it every way possible to your beloved. So we thought we'd help you out a bit a give a few ways ... including some creative ways.

For example in Ubbi Dubbi, the language game I learned from the PBS show Zoom in the 70s where you add "ub" before vowels," I love you" becomes, "Ub-eye lubove yuboo." In Pig Latin - another language game - it becomes "I-ay ove-lay oo-yay." In Elvish from Lord of the Rings, it's "Melin le." In Shyriiwook, the language of Wookies in Star Wars, it's "ah anoohowo rooohu." Numerically, "143". In sign language, the signed letters I, L and Y together.

Other languages are below. So learn a few, maybe pick a secret one for just between the two of you, and whisper those three sweet words over and over to each other.

French - Je t'aime
Polish - Kocham Cie
Danish - Jeg elsker dig
Romanian - Te iubesc
Irish - Taim i' ngra leat
Filipino - Mahal kita
Welsh - 'Rwy'n dy garu
Japanese - Aishiteru
German - Ich liebe dich
Chinese - Wo ai ni
Hawaiian - Aloha au ia 'oe
Russian - Ya tebya liubliu
Finnish - Mina rakastan sinua
Aramaic - Rikhmith-eykh (to female); Rikhmith-akh (to male)
Spanish - Te amo
Dutch - Ik hou van jou
Saxon - Ik hou van di
Turkish - Seni Seviyorum
Greek - S'agapo
Swahili - Ninapenda wewe
Czech - Miluji te
Ukrainian - Ya tebe kahayu

Discussion: Do you have a special way of saying "I love you" to one another? Which of the above do you like?

Prayer: Father, we know You love us, for you showed us in the most amazing way ... by dying for us. Thank You, for Your beautiful Son, Jesus. May we repeat how much we love each other as often as possible. In Jesus we pray, Amen.