te amo
/te ˈamo/
The English phrase 'I love you' is translated into Spanish 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/ |
te amo is used to convey a deep and intense emotional love.
Which one should you use?
te amo is used for deep, romantic or profound love and is more intense than te quiero. In contrast, te quiero is a common way to say 'I love you' to friends and family, but it is generally considered less intense and more casual than te amo.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Latin American countries, the expression Te quiero un montón, buenas noches. is commonly used to say 'I love you a lot, goodnight.'
How does it change in a sentence?
When describing a continuous state of love in the past (the imperfect tense), you can say te amaba ('I loved you'). To express a completed action in the past, use te amé ('I loved you').
How do you pronounce it?
/te ˈamo/
Did you know?
- In Spain, te quiero is the standard way to express romantic love, whereas te amo is often reserved for poetry, songs or extremely dramatic moments.
- The verb querer in te quiero literally means 'to want', so in a different context, you are linguistically saying 'I want you'.
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, people use the phrase te quiero un mundo ('I love you a world') to add an even greater sense of scale to their affection.
Examples in context
- Sé que te amo.I know I love you.This sentence shows how to use te amo to state a personal certainty.Tatoeba #2412405 by marcelostockle, translation #2375989 by CK
- Te amo, tesoro mío.I love you, sweetheart.This sentence uses te amo in a romantic way to address a sweetheart.Tatoeba #1277931 by marcelostockle, translation #139171 by fengrim
- Te amo tal como sos.I love you just as you are.This sentence demonstrates using te amo to express unconditional love.Tatoeba #998944 by hayastan, translation #386518 by Dorenda
- Querida abuela, te amo. Descansa bien y buenas noches.Dear grandmother, I love you. Rest well and goodnight.
- Hermana, te quiero mucho. Noche tranquila y dulces sueños.Sister, I love you very much. Have a peaceful night and sweet dreams.
- Mi amor, eres el amor de mi vida. Descansa bien y sueña conmigo.My love, you are the love of my life. Rest well and dream of me.
- Amiguito, te quiero un montón. Descansa bien y que tengas sueños lindos.Little friend, I love you a lot. Rest well and have beautiful dreams.
- 132 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A romantic dinner at a restaurant.
- MaríaTe amo, Javier.I love you, Javier.
- JavierY yo te amo a ti, María.And I love you, María.
- María¿Eres feliz conmigo?Are you happy with me?
- JavierMuchísimo.Very much.
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.
