Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| te amo | /te ˈamo/ |
| te quiero | /te ˈkjeɾo/ |
These phrases are used to affirm romantic feelings. You might use te quiero to express affection to a crush in a friendly or less intense context, or you might use Estoy enamorado/a de ti to say "I am in love with you". To express infatuation, you can say Estoy colado/a por ti (I have a crush on you) or use Me encantas, which literally means "You enchant me".
Which one should you use?
While both terms translate to "I love you", te quiero is generally used for friends, family or during the earlier, less intense stages of a romantic relationship. In contrast, te amo is more intense and conveys deep romantic love.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In parts of Latin America, speakers may use te quiero muchísimo to convey a sense of profound love instead of te amo. In Spain, the phrase me molas mucho can be used as a substitute for me gustas mucho to express strong attraction and affection.
How do you pronounce it?
/te ˈamo/
When do people say it?
To express the depth of your devotion, you can say Eres el amor de mi vida (You are the love of my life).
Did you know?
- The verb querer used in te quiero literally translates to 'to want', so you are grammatically saying 'I want you'.
- The word amo as a noun refers to a 'master' or 'owner', which is a very different sense than the verb 'to love'.
- Spanish uses the verb encantar in me encantas to describe romantic attraction, which is the same verb used to say you love a specific food or a hobby.
Examples in context
- Sé que te amo.I know I love you.This sentence shows how to express the knowledge of your love using te amo.Tatoeba #2412405 by marcelostockle, translation #2375989 by CK
- Te amo, tesoro mío.I love you, sweetheart.This sentence shows how to use te amo with a term of endearment.Tatoeba #1277931 by marcelostockle, translation #139171 by fengrim
- Te amo tal como sos.I love you just as you are.This sentence uses te amo to express loving someone exactly as they are.Tatoeba #998944 by hayastan, translation #386518 by Dorenda
- Eres el amor de mi vida, cada día que pasa te amo más y más.You're the love of my life, with each passing day, I love you more and more.
- 132 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A romantic dinner at a quiet restaurant.
- DanielTe amo, María.I love you, María.
- MaríaY yo te amo, Daniel.And I love you, Daniel.
- DanielEres lo mejor de mi vida.You are the best thing in my life.
- MaríaSiempre estaremos juntos.We will always be together.
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.
