What does “Lieblings-” mean in German?

German has a single prefix that does the job of “favourite” for any noun: Lieblings-. Snap it onto a word and you get your favourite food (Lieblingsessen), favourite colour (Lieblingsfarbe), favourite song (Lieblingslied). The root is lieb — “dear, beloved” — so you are literally naming your most-loved thing. Once you spot the pattern, you can build the word you need on the spot.

In the clip, Emma meets her friend at a restaurant every Monday and orders spaghetti carbonara — introduced as her Lieblingsessen (favourite food). That single word carries all the meaning English needs three words for. The linking -s- between Liebling and the following noun is a standard German joining element (Fugenlaut); you will nearly always hear Lieblings- in practice, not the bare Liebling-. The standalone word Liebling (no compound) is a term of endearment — “darling” or “sweetheart” — so context keeps the two uses apart.