When it comes to expressing love, affection, and closeness, terms of endearment are essential across every language and culture. Whether you’re speaking to a partner, friend, child, or even a pet, these sweet nicknames bring warmth and intimacy to any relationship.
In this article, you’ll learn how to say common terms of endearment in 70 different languages—complete with pronunciation and example sentences—to help you share affection anywhere in the world.
How to Say Terms of Endearment in 70 Different Languages
- Spanish (🇪🇸) – Cariño | Pronunciation: kah-REE-nyo
Hola, cariño. (Hi, sweetheart.) - French (🇫🇷) – Mon chéri / Ma chérie | Pronunciation: mohn sheh-REE / mah sheh-REE
Je t’aime, ma chérie. (I love you, my darling.) - German (🇩🇪) – Schatz | Pronunciation: shahts
Guten Morgen, Schatz! (Good morning, darling!) - Italian (🇮🇹) – Tesoro | Pronunciation: teh-SOH-roh
Buonanotte, tesoro. (Good night, sweetheart.) - Portuguese (🇵🇹) – Querido / Querida | Pronunciation: keh-REE-doo / keh-REE-dah
Oi, minha querida. (Hi, my dear.) - Dutch (🇳🇱) – Schatje | Pronunciation: SKHA-tyuh
Ik hou van je, schatje. (I love you, sweetheart.) - Russian (🇷🇺) – Дорогой / Дорогая (Dorogoy / Dorogaya) | Pronunciation: dah-rah-GOY / dah-rah-GAH-yah
Доброе утро, дорогая. (Good morning, dear.) - Polish (🇵🇱) – Kochanie | Pronunciation: ko-HA-nyeh
Cześć, kochanie. (Hi, darling.) - Czech (🇨🇿) – Miláček | Pronunciation: MEE-lah-chek
Dobré ráno, miláčku. (Good morning, sweetheart.) - Slovak (🇸🇰) – Zlato | Pronunciation: ZLAH-toh
Ahoj, zlato! (Hi, honey!) - Hungarian (🇭🇺) – Drágám | Pronunciation: DRAH-gahm
Jó éjt, drágám. (Good night, my dear.) - Romanian (🇷🇴) – Iubire / Dragă | Pronunciation: yoo-BEE-reh / DRAH-guh
Bună, dragă mea. (Hi, my darling.) - Greek (🇬🇷) – Αγάπη μου (Agápi mou) | Pronunciation: ah-GAH-pee moo
Καλημέρα, αγάπη μου. (Good morning, my love.) - Turkish (🇹🇷) – Aşkım | Pronunciation: ASH-kum
Günaydın, aşkım. (Good morning, my love.) - Arabic (🇸🇦) – حبيبي / حبيبتي (Habibi / Habibti) | Pronunciation: hah-BEE-bee / hah-BEEB-tee
أحبك يا حبيبي. (I love you, my darling.) - Hebrew (🇮🇱) – מותק (Motek) | Pronunciation: MOH-tek
בוקר טוב, מותק. (Good morning, sweetheart.) - Persian (🇮🇷) – عزیزم (Azizam) | Pronunciation: ah-ZEE-zam
سلام عزیزم. (Hello, my dear.) - Hindi (🇮🇳) – जानू (Jaanu) | Pronunciation: JAA-noo
गुड मॉर्निंग, जानू। (Good morning, darling.) - Urdu (🇵🇰) – جان (Jaan) | Pronunciation: jaan
صبح بخیر، جان. (Good morning, sweetheart.) - Bengali (🇧🇩) – প্রিয় (Priyo) | Pronunciation: pree-YO
হ্যালো প্রিয়। (Hello, dear.) - Punjabi (🇮🇳) – ਸੋਹਣਾ / ਸੋਹਣੀ (Sohna / Sohni) | Pronunciation: SOH-nah / SOH-nee
ਤੂੰ ਮੇਰਾ ਸੋਹਣਾ ਏ। (You are my sweetheart.) - Gujarati (🇮🇳) – પ્રિય (Priya) | Pronunciation: pree-YAH
મારો પ્રિય તું છે. (You are my dear.) - Marathi (🇮🇳) – प्रिये (Priye) | Pronunciation: PREE-yeh
शुभ सकाळ, प्रिये. (Good morning, dear.) - Tamil (🇮🇳) – அன்பே (Anbe) | Pronunciation: Ahn-beh
வணக்கம் அன்பே! (Hello, sweetheart!) - Telugu (🇮🇳) – ప్రియమైనవాడా / ప్రియమైనవాడి (Priyaminavada / Priyaminavadi) | Pronunciation: pree-ya-mee-na-VAH-da
ప్రియమైనవాడా, నీవే నా ప్రపంచం. (My dear, you are my world.) - Kannada (🇮🇳) – ಪ್ರಿಯ (Priya) | Pronunciation: PREE-ya
ನನ್ನ ಪ್ರಿಯ ನನ್ನ ಎಲ್ಲಾ. (My darling is everything to me.) - Malayalam (🇮🇳) – പ്രിയ (Priya) | Pronunciation: PREE-ya
എന്റെ പ്രിയയെ ഞാൻ സ്നേഹിക്കുന്നു. (I love my darling.) - Nepali (🇳🇵) – प्रिय (Priya) | Pronunciation: PREE-ya
प्रिय, म तिमीलाई माया गर्छु। (Dear, I love you.) - Sinhala (🇱🇰) – පෙම්වතා / පෙම්වතිය (Pemvathā / Pemvathiyā) | Pronunciation: PEM-va-tha / PEM-va-thee-ya
මම ඔයාට ආදරෙයි පෙම්වතියා. (I love you, sweetheart.) - Chinese (🇨🇳) – 宝贝 (Bǎobèi) | Pronunciation: bow-BAY
早安，宝贝。 (Good morning, baby.) - Japanese (🇯🇵) – 愛しい人 (Itoshii hito) | Pronunciation: ee-TOH-shee hee-toh
おはよう、愛しい人。 (Good morning, darling.) - Korean (🇰🇷) – 자기야 (Jagiya) | Pronunciation: cha-GEE-yah
잘 잤어, 자기야? (Did you sleep well, honey?) - Vietnamese (🇻🇳) – Em yêu / Anh yêu | Pronunciation: em yoo / anh yoo
Chào buổi sáng, em yêu. (Good morning, my love.) - Thai (🇹🇭) – ที่รัก (Thîi-rák) | Pronunciation: tee-RUK
สวัสดีตอนเช้า ที่รัก. (Good morning, darling.) - Indonesian (🇮🇩) – Sayang | Pronunciation: SAH-yang
Selamat pagi, sayang. (Good morning, sweetheart.) - Malay (🇲🇾) – Sayang | Pronunciation: SAH-yang
Hai sayang, awak sihat? (Hi love, are you okay?) - Tagalog (🇵🇭) – Mahal / Honey | Pronunciation: ma-HAHL
Magandang umaga, mahal ko. (Good morning, my love.) - Swahili (🇰🇪) – Mpenzi | Pronunciation: m-PEHN-zee
Habari mpenzi wangu. (Hello, my sweetheart.) - Zulu (🇿🇦) – Sthandwa | Pronunciation: st-HAND-wah
Ngiyakuthanda sthandwa sami. (I love you, my darling.) - Xhosa (🇿🇦) – Sithandwa | Pronunciation: see-TAHND-wah
Molo sithandwa sam. (Hello, my love.) - Afrikaans (🇿🇦) – Liefie | Pronunciation: LEE-fee
Ek is lief vir jou, liefie. (I love you, darling.) - Somali (🇸🇴) – Gacaliye / Gacaliso | Pronunciation: gah-cha-LEE-yeh / gah-cha-LEE-so
Waan ku jeclahay gacaliyahayga. (I love you, my sweetheart.) - Amharic (🇪🇹) – ውድ ልጅ (Wed lij) | Pronunciation: wed lij
ሰላም ውድ ልጅ. (Hello, dear.) - Hausa (🇳🇬) – Masoyi | Pronunciation: mah-SOH-yee
Ina son ki masoyiyata. (I love you, my love.) - Yoruba (🇳🇬) – Ọ̀rẹ́ mi / Ifẹ́ mi | Pronunciation: oh-reh mee / ee-feh mee
Ifẹ́ mi, bawo ni o ṣe wa? (My love, how are you?) - Igbo (🇳🇬) – Nkem / Ọnụ m | Pronunciation: N-kem / oh-NOO mm
Nkem, ekele m gị. (My own, I greet you.) - Finnish (🇫🇮) – Kulta | Pronunciation: KOOL-tah
Hyvää huomenta, kulta. (Good morning, darling.) - Swedish (🇸🇪) – Älskling | Pronunciation: ELSK-ling
God morgon, älskling. (Good morning, sweetheart.) - Norwegian (🇳🇴) – Elskling | Pronunciation: ELSK-ling
Hei, elskling! (Hi, darling!) - Danish (🇩🇰) – Skat | Pronunciation: skaht
Godmorgen, skat. (Good morning, darling.) - Icelandic (🇮🇸) – Elskan | Pronunciation: ELSK-an
Sæll elskan. (Hello, darling.) - Estonian (🇪🇪) – Kallim | Pronunciation: KAHL-leem
Tere hommikust, kallim! (Good morning, sweetheart.) - Latvian (🇱🇻) – Mīļais / Mīļā | Pronunciation: MEE-lyais / MEE-lya
Labrīt, mīļā. (Good morning, dear.) - Lithuanian (🇱🇹) – Mielasis / Mieloji | Pronunciation: MYEL-ah-sis / MYEL-oh-yee
Labas rytas, mieloji. (Good morning, darling.) - Irish (🇮🇪) – Stór mo chroí | Pronunciation: stohr muh khree
Dia dhuit, stór mo chroí. (Hello, my darling.) - Scottish Gaelic (🏴) – Mo ghràdh | Pronunciation: muh GRAH
Madainn mhath, mo ghràdh. (Good morning, my love.) - Welsh (🏴) – Cariad | Pronunciation: KAH-ree-ad
Bore da, cariad. (Good morning, sweetheart.) - Basque (🇪🇸) – Maitea | Pronunciation: MY-teh-ah
Kaixo, maitea. (Hello, my love.) - Catalan (🇪🇸) – Estimat / Estimada | Pronunciation: es-tee-MAHT / es-tee-MAH-dah
Bon dia, estimada. (Good morning, darling.) - Galician (🇪🇸) – Queridiño / Queridiña | Pronunciation: keh-ree-DEEN-yo / keh-ree-DEEN-yah
Ola, queridiña. (Hi, sweetheart.) - Esperanto (🌍) – Karulo / Karulino | Pronunciation: kah-ROO-lo / kah-roo-LEE-no
Saluton, karulino. (Hello, darling.) - Haitian Creole (🇭🇹) – Cheri | Pronunciation: sheh-REE
Bonjou cheri mwen. (Good morning, my darling.) - Tahitian (🇵🇫) – Tauturu | Pronunciation: tah-oo-TOO-roo
Ia ora na, tauturu. (Hello, dear one.) - Tongan (🇹🇴) – Ofa | Pronunciation: OH-fah
Mālō e lelei, ‘ofa lahi atu. (Hello, much love.) - Samoan (🇼🇸) – Uo pele | Pronunciation: oo-oh PEH-leh
Talofa, uo pele. (Hi, dear friend.) - Maori (🇳🇿) – E te tau | Pronunciation: eh teh toe
Ata mārie, e te tau. (Good morning, my darling.) - Fijian (🇫🇯) – Daulomani | Pronunciation: dah-oo-loh-MAH-nee
Bula, daulomani. (Hello, beloved.) - Inuktitut (🇨🇦) – ᐊᔭᓐᓇᖅ (Ajannaq) | Pronunciation: ah-YAHN-nak
Ajannaq, nagligivagit. (Darling, I love you.) - Cherokee (🇺🇸) – ᎤᏓᎷᎸᏔᏅ (Udalvltanv) | Pronunciation: oo-dah-luh-luh-tah-nuh
Udalvltanv, gvgeyu. (My darling, I love you.) - Navajo (🇺🇸) – Shí yázhí | Pronunciation: shee yah-ZHEE
Yá’át’ééh, shí yázhí. (Hello, my little one.)
Conclusion
From “Habibi” in Arabic to “Cariño” in Spanish and “Jagiya” in Korean, terms of endearment show that love and affection speak a universal language. Whether whispered, written, or sung, these sweet nicknames help us express the deepest bonds we share with those we cherish.
