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In English we say "I love you to death". It's a kind of cute way of saying "you mean something very profound to me", it's lighthearted and yet meaningful.

I'm trying to say this to a girl I adore, yet it should be in a friendly kind of love way.

Google translate suggests the following:

ti amo da morire

Firstly

The above translation has amo which is not what I'm really trying to convey (i.e., I am trying not to convey overly romantic sentiment).

Secondly

When using the more friendly way of using “love”, "ti voglio bene da morire", it just doesn't seem like it works.

Is there a better translation for this, or is this a case where there isn't a direct translation of this kind of meaning (colloquialism maybe).

DaG
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    I am confused. Why is amo not what you're trying to convey? Is it because you want to avoid conveying romantic sentiments? I am afraid you'll need to be clearer on what you mean (I know, it's hard!) if we are to help you with a translation. – Denis Nardin May 17 '17 at 03:23
  • Updated question (yes im trying not to convey overly romantic sentiment) –  May 17 '17 at 03:26
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    "ti voglio bene da morire" sounds good, or "ti voglio un bene dell'anima" – Riccardo De Contardi May 17 '17 at 07:21

2 Answers2

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You could simply tell her: "Ti voglio un mondo di bene!" This is an expression we generally use in strong friendships or with relatives we feel profoundly connected to. You can explore other useful expressions on this page.

Paolo
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"Ti voglio bene" is the expression one uses in Italian to express love, other than romantic love. For example, it's what you would say to friends and family. With this in mind, any variant of this phrase with an added positive adjective (or metaphor) to complement "bene" could work when translating "I love you to death". Off the top of my head in no particular order:

  • Ti voglio tanto bene
  • Ti voglio un bene dell'anima
  • Ti voglio un mondo / sacco di bene
  • Ti voglio un casino di bene (beware that casino is informal and/or even rude for some people)
  • Ti voglio una valanga / montagna di bene
  • Ti voglio bene da morire

Be creative. The Italian language allows it.

JoErNanO
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