amo a mis padres
/amo a mis padɾes/from spelling rules
The English phrase "I love my parents" is translated into Spanish as amo a mis padres.
This phrase is used to express deep and profound affection for one's father and mother.
What does it mean word for word?
The word amo is the first-person singular present indicative form of the verb amar (to love).
Which one should you use?
While amo a mis padres expresses a deep, profound love, the alternative quiero a mis padres is also very common and expresses affection and care in a slightly more everyday way.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, people frequently say Os quiero mucho, mamá y papá to show affection towards both parents using the plural os. In Argentina, the term viejos is commonly used to refer to parents affectionately.
How does it change in a sentence?
The possessive adjective mis must be plural to agree with the plural noun padres.
How do you pronounce it?
/amo a mis padɾes/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often forget the "personal a" and mistakenly say amo mis padres instead of amo a mis padres.
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, calling your parents mis viejos is a warm, colloquial way to refer to them. While 'old people' sounds disrespectful in English, in Spanish it is a common term of endearment for one's parents.
- The preposition a traces its roots back to the Latin 'ad', which originally meant 'to' or 'towards'. In this phrase, it functions as a directional marker that has evolved into a grammatical tool for human objects.
- In Spanish, the word padres is used to mean 'parents', but it also means 'fathers'. To specifically say 'parents' as a mixed-gender group, Spanish uses the masculine plural form by default.
Examples in context
- Amo a mis padres.I love my parents.This example shows how to use the phrase amo a mis padres.Tatoeba #1879428 by hayastan, translation #1879084 by Spamster
- ¡Los amo un montón, viejos!I love you a bunch, folks!
- Mamá y papá, les tengo un amor infinito.Mom and dad, I have infinite love for you.
- No saben cuánto los quiero, papás.You don't know how much I love you, parents.
- Yo amo a mis padres con todo mi corazón.I love my parents with all my heart.
Example conversation
Mateo and Sofía are talking about their families.
- MateoTengo una familia muy unida.I have a very close family.
- SofíaYo también, amo a mis padres.Me too, I love my parents.
- MateoEs bueno tener ese apoyo.It is good to have that support.
- SofíaSí, ellos son increíbles.Yes, they are amazing.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, amo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
