me encantan los bebés
/me enkantan los bebes/from spelling rules
The English phrase "I love baby" is translated into Spanish as me encantan los bebés.
The phrase me encantan los bebés is used to express a strong liking for infants in general. If you wish to express a much deeper, more profound emotional love for babies, you would use amo a los bebés.
Which one should you use?
Additionally, if you are referring to one specific baby rather than babies in general, you should use the singular form me encanta el bebé.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase me encantan los bebés, the verb encantar functions similarly to gustar. This means the actual subject of the sentence is los bebés (the babies), and the person affected by this feeling is represented by the indirect object me.
When do people say it?
When addressing someone affectionately, you can use various endearing nicknames such as cariño (darling), mi vida (my life), corazón (heart) or angelito (little angel). To say "I love you a lot" to someone, you can use the phrase te quiero mucho.
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, infants are often called gordito or gordita, which means 'little fatty'. This is a term of endearment and a sign of health and affection rather than a comment on weight.
- While encantar is used for 'loving' babies in this phrase, its root word means 'to cast a spell'. Saying me encantan los bebés literally suggests that babies have cast a spell of fascination over you.
- The word me in this phrase descends from both the Latin accusative 'mē' and the dative 'mihi'. This reflects a historical merger in Vulgar Latin that changed how Spanish handles indirect objects.
Examples in context
- ¿Sabes que me encantan los bebés?Do you know that I love babies?
Example conversation
Alejandro and Sofía are looking at photos of a new relative.
- AlejandroMira esta foto del nuevo primo.Look at this photo of the new cousin.
- Sofía¡Qué lindo! Me encantan los bebés.How cute! I love babies.
- Alejandro¿Quieres ir a visitarlo mañana?Do you want to go visit him tomorrow?
- SofíaSí, me encantaría ir.Yes, I would love to go.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries los, me, CC BY-SA 4.0.
