Ti voglio bene
/ti ˈvɔʎ.ʎo ˈbɛ.ne/
The English phrase "I love you as a friend" can be expressed in Italian as Ti voglio bene.
Ti voglio bene is the standard way to express affection toward friends, siblings, parents and other non-romantic loved ones. For a more formal way to express friendship love, you can say Nutro un sentimento di affetto nei tuoi confronti come amico/amica, which means "I nourish a feeling of affection towards you as a friend".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase Ti voglio bene literally translates to "I want well to you" or "I wish well for you".
Which one should you use?
In Italian, Ti amo is used exclusively for romantic or passionate love, whereas Ti voglio bene is used for platonic, familial or friendly love.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form Ti voglio bene is used when speaking to one person. If you are telling a group of friends you love them, you would use Vi voglio bene.
Did you know?
- In Italy, the distinction between Ti voglio bene and Ti amo is so strict that moving from one to the other often signals a formal shift in the nature of a romantic relationship.
- The 'ti' in the phrase is a contraction that evolved from the Latin dative 'tibi', which is why the phrase functions as 'i want well to you' rather than 'i want your well'.
- Despite the depth of the emotion, Ti voglio bene is often used more casually and frequently in daily conversation than the passionate Ti amo.
Examples in context
- Ti voglio bene, ma solo come un amico.I love you, but only as a friend.
- Non pensare che sia amore, ti voglio bene come amica.Don't think it's love, I love you as a friend.
Example conversation
Matteo is gently rejecting Martina's romantic advances.
- MatteoMartina, ti voglio bene, ma non come una fidanzata.Martina, I love you, but not as a girlfriend.
- MartinaCapisco, volevo solo sapere cosa ne pensi.I understand, I just wanted to know what you think.
- MatteoSei una persona speciale per me.You are a special person to me.
- MartinaGrazie, apprezzo la tua sincerità.Thank you, I appreciate your sincerity.
Sources
- Pronunciation from the Wiktionary entry ti voglio bene.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bene, ti, ti voglio bene, CC BY-SA 4.0.
