Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ti amo | /ti ˈa.mo/ | informal, singular |
| vi amo | formal, plural |
ti amo is an affirmation of romantic feeling. You should be careful with its use, as saying ti amo to a parent or a friend can sound inappropriately romantic or even alarming in Italian. For expressing deep affection or adoration, you can use the informal phrase Ti adoro. To say "You are the love of my life" informally, use Sei l'amore della mia vita.
Which one should you use?
ti amo is reserved strictly for romantic love. For friends and family, you should use ti voglio bene instead. To say "I love you very much" in an informal way, you can use Ti voglio tanto bene.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
ti amo is an informal singular form. The plural form vi amo is formal.
How does it change in a sentence?
The subject pronoun io (I) is often omitted because the verb ending -o already indicates the first person singular.
How do you pronounce it?
ti amo is pronounced /ti ˈa.mo/. It has 3 syllables, and the stress is on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- The verb in ti amo actually comes from a Latin word meaning 'a hook'.
- The phrase ti amo is rarely used in the early stages of dating. Italians often stick to ti voglio bene until the relationship is deeply committed.
- The phrase ti voglio bene literally translates to 'I want you well' rather than 'I love you'.
Examples in context
- So che ti amo.I know that I love you.Tatoeba #8425678 by Guybrush88, translation #7521816 by CK
- Ti amo di più.I love you more.Tatoeba #13298320 by Guybrush88, translation #12675782 by anzart
- Io ti amo, Tom.I love you, Tom.Tatoeba #4649429 by Guybrush88, translation #2765612 by CK
- 136 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A romantic dinner at a restaurant.
- MatteoSei bellissima, ti amo.You are beautiful, I love you.
- MartinaAnche io ti amo, Matteo.I love you too, Matteo.
- MatteoSei tutto per me.You are everything to me.
- MartinaE tu sei il mio amore.And you are my love.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I love you” translations and entries ti amo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries amo, ti, vi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
