Hello!

I have been looking for a translation for the statement "I love you" I wish to say it to make a personalize card for my girlfriend for Valentines day and hope to you use it in the card. I have spent much time looking but found inconsistencies in the response I have received. My girlfriend speaks and writes a bit in Gaelic but I could not ask her because it might ruin the surprise. Any help would be great!

Thanks!

You'd say:

tá grá agam duit
or
tá grá agam ort
or
tá mo chroí istoigh ionad

(the last two sentences might be more Ulster)

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Is fearr Gaeilg na Gaeltaċta ná Gaeilg ar biṫ eile
Agus is í Gaeilg Ġaoṫ Doḃair is binne

Tá grá agam duit: I love you (literally: I have love for you)
Is mo ghrá thú: You are my love
Is tusa mo ghrá: YOU are my love (emphasis on YOU, nobody else)

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Táim ag foghlaim fós. Fáilte roimh gach aon cheartúchán.

Or, in the standard form: tá mo chroí istigh ionat

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I'm not a native (or entirely fluent) speaker, so be sure to wait for confirmations/corrections, especially for tattoos.

Would this ever be shortened to Mo ghrá thú ?

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I'm very much a beginner learner. Don't hesitate to correct me, as long as you explain why. This is how I learn best!

Definitely. In fact, it would be more usual that way.

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Múinteoir Gaeilge - Irish Teacher
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect, but I can also speak Ulster and Munster Irish with native-level pronunciation.
Is fearr Gaeilge ḃriste ná Béarla cliste, cinnte, aċ i ḃfad níos fearr aríst í Gaeilge ḃinn ḃeo na nGaeltaċtaí.
Gaeilge Chonnacht (GC), go háraid Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge (GCF), Gaeilic Uladh (GU), Gaelainn na Mumhan (GM), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).

Ah! I thought I remembered hearing it that way before.

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I'm very much a beginner learner. Don't hesitate to correct me, as long as you explain why. This is how I learn best!

I think you can drop "is" from any phrase where the meaning is clear without it.

Is mise Mick
nó
Mise Mick

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Táim ag foghlaim fós. Fáilte roimh gach aon cheartúchán.

Mick, you can't say Is mo ghrá thú. It has to be either Is tú/tusa mo ghrá, or - as given by mimerim and Breandán - Mo ghrá thú .

But chadam seems to have lost interest anyway.

Well in fairness to chadam, it was for a Valentine's card, and Valentine's day is over. But I'm still interested.

Why is "is mo ghrá thú" wrong. Is it just that "mo ghrá thú" sound more natural or is there something else I'm missing?

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Táim ag foghlaim fós. Fáilte roimh gach aon cheartúchán.