1. Ich habe Schmetterlinge im Bauch

The feeling of excitement and anticipation when you set eyes on your crush is the same for Germans as it is for English-native speakers, it seems: the phrase “having butterflies in the stomach” – or Schmetterlinge im Bauch – is widely used in Germany too. 

2. Ich bin verknallt in dich

Before you reach the being-in-love part of a relationship, you may find yourself being verknallt in someone – meaning to have a crush on someone.

READ ALSO: ‘A huge leap’: How it feels to move to Germany for love

As the noun Knall means “bang” or “crash” in German, it’s likely that the expression comes from the feeling of being hit with a crashing infatuation. 

If you want to hear the phrase sung, along with some other sweet German declarations of loving admiration, listen to this song from German cabaret sing, Helge Scheider.

3. Du machst mich an

If you want to take things up a notch from hand-holding and smooching, you might want to drop this one into conversation with your beau. 

Anmachen literally means “to switch on” in German, but in the context of love, it means “to turn on”. 

4. Du hast wunderschöne Augen

A stone-cold dating classic that’s sure to bring a smile to your German sweetheart’s face. Meaning “you have beautiful eyes” this phrase is a guaranteed winner. Of course, you can replace Augen (“eyes”) with any other part that you find particularly beautiful. Ahem.

5. Ich kann nicht aufhören, an dich zu denken

Used sparingly, this phrase, which means “I can’t stop thinking about you” can be the ultimate compliment for your German lover. Try not to overuse it though, lest you stray into creepy territory.

6. Willst du mein Freund/meine Freundin sein?

In the modern world – and especially in the dating scene of the German capital, Berlin – it might not always be clear where you stand with your lover in terms of exclusivity. 

READ ALSO: 10 reasons why you should date (or even fall in love with) a German

To clear things up and move to the next level by becoming an official girlfriend or boyfriend you can ask this question, which means “Do you want to be my boyfriend/girlfriend?”

Hopefully, they won’t say Ich bin nicht auf der Suche nach etwas Ernstem (“I’m not looking for anything serious”).

7. Ich bin in dich verliebt

Ah, to be in love. This is the phrase you want to save for that special someone when you know it’s really love, as it means “I am in love with you”. 

Another, very straightforward way to declare your love is to say “Ich liebe dich” or even “Ich hab’ dich lieb”.

8. Küss mich

Even if you don’t know any German, you can probably guess what this one means. But it’s just so crucial – we put it in anyway. Now kiss me.