Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| te amo | /te ˈamo/ |
| te quiero | /te ˈkjeɾo/ |
te quiero is used for friends, family and early-stage romantic relationships. te amo is reserved for deep, serious romantic love or very profound familial bonds.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase te amo is composed of te (you) and amo (the first-person singular present indicative of amar, to love).
Which one should you use?
te quiero functions as "I love you" or "I care for you" in an informal or casual context. In contrast, te amo is much more intense and romantic.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase te amo, the subject "I" (yo) is omitted because the verb ending -o in amo already indicates the first-person singular.
How do you pronounce it?
/te ˈamo/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use te amo for all situations. However, te quiero is the more common way to express affection to friends and relatives.
Did you know?
- Spanish has a specific term querencia derived from the same root as te quiero, referring to the place where one feels safe and at home.
- While 'te quiero' is common, using the verb querer to say 'I love you' also literally translates to 'I want you' in many other contexts.
- If you say te amo to a casual acquaintance in Spain, you might be perceived as being incredibly dramatic or even theatrical.
Examples in context
- Sé que te amo.I know I love you.This sentence is useful for practicing the form te amo.Tatoeba #2412405 by marcelostockle, translation #2375989 by CK
- Te amo, tesoro mío.I love you, sweetheart.Tatoeba #1277931 by marcelostockle, translation #139171 by fengrim
- Te amo tal como sos.I love you just as you are.Tatoeba #998944 by hayastan, translation #386518 by Dorenda
- Buenas noches, abuela querida. Adiós, te quiero mucho. ¡Hasta pronto!Good evening, dear grandmother. Goodbye, I love you very much. See you soon!
- Chao, mi vida. Hasta luego. Te amo eternamente.Bye, my life. See you later. I love you eternally.
- 132 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Daniel are having a romantic dinner.
- SofíaDaniel, te amo tanto.Daniel, I love you so much.
- DanielY yo te amo a ti, Sofía.And I love you, Sofía.
- SofíaEres el hombre de mi vida.You are the man of my life.
- DanielGracias, mi amor.Thank you, my love.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I love you” translations and entries te amo, te quiero, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
