lo amo
/lo amo/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "I love him" is translated as lo amo.
lo amo is a phrase used to express deep romantic love or strong affection for a male person. Note that the related word quiero can mean both "I love" and "I want" depending on the context.
Which one should you use?
While lo amo expresses deep, intense romantic love, lo quiero is a more common way to express affection or love for friends, family or in the early stages of a relationship.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some parts of Spain and certain Latin American dialects, speakers may use le amo, but lo amo is the standard grammatical form for the direct object "him".
How does it change in a sentence?
To express that you loved him in the past, change the verb amo to the preterite form amé.
How do you pronounce it?
/lo amo/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, saying lo amo can sound like a line from a 'telenovela', leading people to use lo quiero mucho to avoid sounding overly dramatic.
- While lo amo is the standard, the use of le amo is a regional linguistic phenomenon called 'leísmo' that is officially accepted by the Royal Spanish Academy in certain contexts in Spain.
- The pronoun lo in lo amo originates from the Latin word illum, which originally meant 'that one' or 'that person'.
Examples in context
- Lo amo, pero él es gay.I love him, but he's gay.This sentence uses lo amo to show a contrast between love and sexual orientation.Tatoeba #2996393 by hayastan, translation #2979985 by Hybrid
- Decile a Tom que lo amo.Tell Tom I love him.This sentence uses lo amo in a message to a third party.Tatoeba #2366856 by hayastan, translation #1860538 by CK
- Decidí decirle que lo amo.I decided to tell her that I love him.This sentence uses lo amo when describing a decision to share feelings.Tatoeba #1395806 by marcelostockle, translation #380812 by MUIRIEL
- Lo quiero tanto, mi vida.I love him so much, my life.
- 13 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María tells her friend Alejandro about her feelings for a man.
- MaríaÉl es el hombre de mi vida.He is the man of my life.
- Alejandro¿De verdad sientes algo tan fuerte?Do you really feel something so strong?
- MaríaSí, lo amo con todo mi corazón.Yes, I love him with all my heart.
- AlejandroMe alegro mucho por ti, María.I am very happy for you, María.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries amo, lo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
