What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the direct object pronoun los (them) and the first-person singular present indicative of querer (to want/to love).
Which one should you use?
While Los quiero is common for friends and family, Los amo expresses a much deeper, more intense or often more romantic level of love. Additionally, adding a ellos after the pronoun los to form Los quiero a ellos is grammatically redundant but is frequently used to add emphasis to the specific people being loved.
How does it change in a sentence?
If the group of people being referred to is exclusively female, you must use the feminine direct object pronoun las instead of los, resulting in Las quiero.
How do you pronounce it?
/los kjeɾo/
When do people say it?
When expressing affection, you might use nicknames such as cielo (meaning "darling") or corazón (meaning "sweetheart").
Did you know?
- If you are speaking to a group of people and want to say 'I love you all' (plural), you would use Los quiero in Latin America, but in Spain, you would likely use Os quiero.
- The word querer in Los quiero literally translates to 'to want' in English, which can make the phrase feel more like a desire than an emotion to an English speaker.
- The pronoun los originates from the Latin word illōs, which was used to point out specific people from a distance.
Examples in context
- Saben lo mucho que los quiero.They know how much I love them.This sentence is useful for expressing the depth of your affection using Los quiero.Tatoeba #10783703 by megamanenm, translation #7409631 by CH
- Mis respetos para su familia, los quiero muchoMy respect to your family, I love them very much
- Los quiero como a mi propia familiaI love them like my own family
- No me importa lo que digan, los quiero.I don't care what they say, I love them.
Example conversation
Sofía and Daniel are talking about Daniel's cousins.
- Sofía¿Cómo están tus primos?How are your cousins?
- DanielEstán bien, pero me extrañan.They are fine, but they miss me.
- SofíaEs normal, los quiero tanto como tú.It is normal, I love them as much as you do.
- DanielYo también los quiero a ellos.I love them too.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries los, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
