eu te amo, papai
/ˈew t͡ʃi ˈɐ̃.mu paˈpaj/word by word
The English phrase "I love you, daddy" is translated into Portuguese as eu te amo, papai.
An expression of affection used by a child to tell their father that they love him.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of eu (I), te (you), amo (love) and papai (daddy).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
You can use eu te amo, pai to say "I love you, dad," which is a more standard, slightly less 'childish' way to say 'dad' compared to papai.
How does it change in a sentence?
The pronoun te is used here as the object of the verb amo to represent "you".
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈew tʃi ˈɐ̃.mu paˈpaj/
Did you know?
- The pronoun te comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *twé, which is the prehistoric ancestor of the English word 'thee'.
- While papai is a sweet term for children, some Portuguese speakers use painho in the Northeast of Brazil to express an even deeper, more affectionate bond with their father.
- Because papai is so strongly associated with childhood, using it as an adult in a romantic context might sound strangely infantile rather than sweet.
Examples in context
- Eu te amo, pai!I love you, Dad!
- Eu te amo, papai querido!I love you, dear Daddy!
- Amo-te, ó pai!I love you, oh father!
- Diga para ele: eu te amo, papai.Tell him: I love you, daddy.
Example conversation
A little girl is giving her father a hug before bedtime.
- CamilaEu te amo, papai!I love you, daddy!
- GabrielEu também te amo, Camila.I love you too, Camila.
- CamilaDurma bem, papai.Sleep well, daddy.
- GabrielBoa noite, minha pequena.Good night, my little one.
