te amo
/te ˈamo/
In Spanish, 'I love you' can be expressed as te amo or te quiero.
Meaning: affirmation of romantic feeling (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| te amo | /te ˈamo/ |
| te quiero | /te ˈkjeɾo/ |
These phrases are used to affirm romantic or deep affectionate feelings. You can also use te quiero mucho to say 'I love you very much' or te adoro to say 'I adore you'.
Which one should you use?
While both mean 'I love you', te quiero is the most common and widely understood way to say it and is typically used for friends, family and early-stage romantic relationships. In contrast, te amo is a stronger, more profound and more passionate declaration of love, typically reserved for serious romantic partners or very deep familial bonds.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase te amo, the object pronoun te is placed before the conjugated verb amo (I love).
How do you pronounce it?
/te ˈamo/
Did you know?
- The verb in te quiero actually means 'I want you' in a literal sense. While it is the standard way to say 'I love you' to friends and family, it is rooted in the idea of wishing someone well or desiring their presence.
- The word amor shares a root with the English word 'amorous', but in Spanish, mi amor is frequently used as a generic term of endearment for strangers, such as a vendor addressing a customer.
- The word amo shares a root with 'amateur' in English, though they have diverged significantly in meaning over centuries of linguistic evolution.
Examples in context
- Sé que te amo.I know I love you.This sentence is useful for expressing the knowledge of one's own love using te amo.Tatoeba #2412405 by marcelostockle, translation #2375989 by CK
- Te amo, tesoro mío.I love you, sweetheart.This sentence is useful for adding an affectionate term like 'sweetheart' to te amo.Tatoeba #1277931 by marcelostockle, translation #139171 by fengrim
- Te amo tal como sos.I love you just as you are.This sentence is useful for expressing love for someone exactly as they are using te amo.Tatoeba #998944 by hayastan, translation #386518 by Dorenda
- 132 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple is spending a quiet evening at home.
- MateoTe amo, Elena.I love you, Elena.
- ElenaYo también te amo, Mateo.I love you too, Mateo.
- MateoEres la mujer de mi vida.You are the woman of my life.
- ElenaY tú eres mi todo.And you are my everything.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I love you” translations and entries te amo, te quiero, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
