hola cariño, te amo
/ˈola kaˈɾiɲo te ˈamo/word by word
The English phrase "hey baby, I love you" can be translated into Spanish as hola cariño, te amo.
This phrase serves as an affectionate greeting and an expression of love used between romantic partners.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of hola (hello), cariño (darling/dear) and te amo (I love you).
Which one should you use?
In Spanish, there is a distinction between the intensity of affection. While te amo is used for deep, romantic love, te quiero is a slightly less intense way to express affection and is often used in the earlier stages of a relationship or with friends and family.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, you might hear the expression Hola, cielo to say "Hello, darling".
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase te amo, the te is the direct object pronoun meaning "you" and amo is the first-person singular conjugation of the verb amar.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈola kaˈɾiɲo te ˈamo/
When do people say it?
Another common way to express this sentiment is hola mi amor, te amo, which means "hey my love, i love you".
Did you know?
- The greeting hola may actually have roots in an old command used to hail a ferryman, similar to how one might shout 'hey!' to get someone's attention.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, the gesture of a kiss on each cheek often accompanies a greeting like hola cariño, even among couples in public.
- The word cariño can be used as both a noun meaning 'affection' and a nickname for a person, effectively acting as both the feeling and the recipient of that feeling.
Examples in context
- Hola, cariño, te quiero. ¿Sabes cuánto iluminas mi vida?Hello, darling, I love you. Do you know how much you brighten up my life?
- Oye, bebé, te amo. Eres el sol que ilumina mis días.Hey, baby, I love you. You are the sun that brightens up my days.
- Hola cariño, te amo mucho.Hey baby, I love you very much.
- Hola cariño, te amo tanto.Hey baby, I love you so much.
- ¡Hola cariño, te amo!Hey baby, I love you!
Example conversation
Mateo greets María when she arrives home from work.
- MateoHola cariño, te amo.Hey baby, I love you.
- MaríaYo también te amo, Mateo.I love you too, Mateo.
- Mateo¿Cómo estuvo tu día?How was your day?
- MaríaFue un día muy largo.It was a very long day.
