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lieb

dear

adjective LEEP Less Common
Mind & Emotions Attitudes

Also means

kind

Usage Note

lieb describes someone sweet, kind or well-behaved and opens countless letters as Liebe / Lieber ('Dear'). The comparative goes irregular: lieber also means 'rather' (Ich gehe lieber — 'I'd rather go'), so context decides the sense.

Examples

"Sie ist ein liebes Kind."

Natural Translation

She is a sweet child.

Literal Translation

She is a dear child.

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