One word: Szeretlek
Szeretlek means “I love you” in Hungarian. You can copy that single word as a complete message; it already includes who loves whom.
The ending -lek carries the relationship “I” acting on “you.” You do not need to add separate words for both people to make the sentence complete.
How to pronounce Szeretlek
Practise it in three parts, with stress on the first: SZE-ret-lek. The opening sz represents one sound, like s in English “see.” Do not pronounce it as an s followed by a z.
Hungarian s on its own represents a different sound, closer to English “sh.” Keeping that distinction in mind helps you read the beginning correctly. Use the audio above to practise the whole word after trying the smaller parts.
I love you, or I am in love with you?
| What you mean | Hungarian |
|---|---|
| I love you | Szeretlek |
| I love you very much | Nagyon szeretlek |
| I am in love with you | Szerelmes vagyok beléd |
Szerelmes vagyok beléd makes being in love explicit. It is a different sentence, rather than a longer spelling of szeretlek. Choose it when that is the feeling you want to name.
For a short declaration, Szeretlek is enough. Add nagyon when you want to say “very much,” rather than adding words simply to make the message look more complete.
How to say I love you too
Reply with Én is szeretlek — “I love you too.” Here én means “I,” and is adds “too.”
Keep the accents when copying longer expressions: Én is szeretlek and Szerelmes vagyok beléd. The basic Szeretlek itself has no accented letters.