te quiero
/te ˈkjeɾo/
In Spanish, 'I love you' can be expressed as te quiero or te amo.
Meaning: affirmation of romantic feeling (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| te quiero | /te ˈkjeɾo/ |
| te amo | /te ˈamo/ |
These phrases are used as an affirmation of romantic feeling. While te quiero is a standard way to express love in a romantic context, it can also be used for more casual affection. To say 'I love you too' or 'I also love you', you can say Yo también te quiero.
What does it mean word for word?
The literal translation of te quiero is 'I want you'.
Which one should you use?
te quiero is used for more casual affection, such as with friends, family or in the early stages of a relationship.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form te amo uses the object pronoun 'te' to refer to one person (informal 'you'). To say 'I love you' to a group of people, you must change the object pronoun to 'los' or 'las'.
How do you pronounce it?
/te ˈkjeɾo/
Did you know?
- In some Latin American countries, it is common to say te quiero to a pet or an object, whereas te amo is reserved for humans to avoid sounding absurd.
- The word amo shares its root with the English word 'amatory', which relates to love or desire.
- In a romantic argument, a partner might say no te quiero not to mean they have stopped loving the person, but that they are currently annoyed or 'done' with them in that moment.
Examples in context
- Sé que te amo.I know I love you.This sentence is useful for expressing the certainty of one's 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 expressing love toward a sweetheart using 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
- Cuando me dijiste que me amabas, supe que también te amo.When you told me you loved me, I knew I loved you too.
- Me haces feliz y yo también te quiero mucho.You make me happy, and I love you too.
- ¡También te quiero, mi amiga! Eres lo mejor.I love you too, my friend! You're the best.
- 132 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and Lucía are walking through a park at sunset.
- DanielTe quiero mucho, Lucía.I love you very much, Lucía.
- LucíaYo también te quiero, Daniel.I love you too, Daniel.
- DanielEres la mejor compañera.You are the best partner.
- LucíaEres muy especial para mí.You are very special to me.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I love you” translations and entries te quiero, te amo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries amo, te, te amo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
