"I love you" in German is "Ich liebe dich." It is the direct, romantic translation and is pronounced "ish leeb-uh dish." This phrase is reserved for deep romantic love and serious relationships. Germans distinguish strongly between different levels of affection. If you like someone but are not yet in love, you say "Ich mag dich" meaning "I like you." If you have affectionate love for family or very close friends or are in the early stages of romance, you say "Ich hab dich lieb" which is much softer, like "I have love for you" or "I love you dearly" without the heavy romantic commitment. "Ich liebe dich" is what you say to your boyfriend, girlfriend, spouse, or child when you mean lifelong love. You can also vary it with "Ich liebe dich auch" meaning "I love you too," or add intensifiers like "Ich liebe dich so sehr" meaning "I love you so much," or "Ich liebe dich über alles" meaning "I love you above everything." For formal or poetic use you might see "Ich liebe Sie" but that is extremely rare and not romantic. So the standard translation is "Ich liebe dich," but use it wisely because it carries more weight in German culture than a quick "love ya" in English.
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