Very deep. It means no less than "I love you". But it depends on the circumstances, how to interpret it. Just a deep friendship, or more?

It is sometimes used by those too afraid or ashamed to say I love you. But it can also mean less than the full blown declaration. You are very dear to me, or something along those lines. Good luck.

Germans don't really tend to use the phrase "Ich liebe dich" very often. Instead they say "Ich hab dich lieb" although it doesn't always *have to* mean "I'm head over heels with you". Having said that, unless s/he is already very good friends with you and has known you for a long time, the likelihood of him/her feeling more for you than just a great fondness is rather high, I'd say.
Good luck :-)

it does not mean as much as "i love you" resp. "ich liebe dich".
"Ich hab dich lieb" (often abbreviated "hdl" in mobile phone text messages) is used by good friends.
It means the girl (i think it is a girl?) does like you, perhaps your relationship can become closer so that you can write "i love you" :-)

It also might depend on where this phrase is used. As an example "ich mag dich" means, as for High German, even less than "ich hab dich lieb", but it will mean "I love you" in Swabia ("i môg di"). Maybe there are German regions where "ich hab dich lieb" means in any case exactly the same as "I love you"?

We reserve "ich liebe dich" for the (passionate)love between couples (lovers). "Ich hab dich lieb" is used for "cuddly" love to other family members (parents - children, siblings, etc.). It is a more childlike, "innocent" phrase without any sexual connotation, which "ich liebe dich" always has for Germans, at least for the generation that grew up without too many American (dubbed) series. To me to hear a child say to his father/mother "ich liebe dich" in such a series still grates my ear or rather feelings.

Lovers may say both, depending on the situation, but persons who have no sexual relationship use "I love you" ironically, if at all. Friends, colleagues, etc. would rather say "ich mag dich", family members "ich hab dich lieb".

Of course, this has nothing to do with the depth of feeling.

And, to come back to your question, J David, I concur with Carola. "ich hab dich lieb" is often used at the beginning of a love affair, when one is still too unsecure or shy to say "ich liebe dich". For Germans that phrase often means a serious committment.

Sounds very promising ;-)

J David, I wouldn't say it is possible to tell definitly the meaning and its deepth just from the words here. It's a phrase, unlike 'ich liebe dich', which just because of this certain 'well, you can't tell if...' might be used as a 'secure' form of 'i love you' but this *has* not to be the case. It might just mean: 'you are soooooo nice and I like you so much' or if you did something for the person and s/he feels a deep greatfulness and "loves" you for that... or... or... or... Also, as far as I know, the younger the speaker is, the "less" it might mean and the more often this phrase is used. Many young people say 'ich hab dich lieb' to express friendship. I'm nearly 30 and my best friend still always tells me that :). Older people usually don't express feelings of love so often and clearly unless it's their husband or wife. But in any case it means that the person likes you very much!

A child also would very rarely use the phrase "ich liebe dich" even if it may have very passionate feelings towards another person. If children want to express the "superlative" of "ich hab ... lieb", they say: "ich hab xy ganz ganz doll lieb." :)

Das sehr schöne Kinderbuch "Weißt du eigentlich, wie lieb ich dich habe?" (mit Hasenvater und Hasenkind) heißt im englischen Original "Do you know how much I love you?".

Ich hab dich lieb

I am a little bit confused. I am German and I never ever heard someone saying "Ich hab dich lieb" instead of "Ich liebe dich". To my girlfriend I say "Ich liebe dich" (I love you) and to close friends or family I say "Ich hab dich lieb", doesn't matter if they are male or female. There is a really big difference between both expressions and "Ich hab dich lieb" doesn't mean "I love you",at least not for me and people around me. Merry christmas

just to make clear:

"Ich hab' dich lieb' " - used by people over 14 years old is never the same as I love you (= Ich liebe dich)

Of course its used by people also, who would tell eachother Ich liebe dich, but then the context is different.

Ich hab Dich lieb can be more shy. but mustn't be used in a shy way.

It can also just be meant more in the way to cherish, or to say thx or like you very very much...

And it can be used in the beginning of a realtionship - not in every case cos one is shy. But probably used conscious about the difference between Ich liebe Dich - what is in german used really rare and not to every boy- or girlfriend one has - and Ich hab Dich lieb, what can be used between good friends also, but not only.

Ich hab dich lieb

'love you' /'love ya'

I was in Chicago, Illinois last summer and the child of my aunt always says
"Love ya, Mommy". Guess it means something like "Hab dich lieb". Maybe the "lieb dich" we have in Germany too.
Hope it helps.

<3

OT re #4: resp.

> or? "Resp." used in that way would make no sense to your average native English speaker. And the same goes for "respective".

(over 10 years later, but SCNR :-))

Ich hab Dich lieb = I'm fond of you!

... no more or less ...

OT re #18: no more or less

>> no more, no less?