Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| amo-te | /ˈɐ̃.mu.t͡ʃi/ (Brazil) /ˈɐ.mu.tɨ/ (Portugal) |
|
| (eu) te amo | /ˈew t͡ʃi ˈɐ̃.mu/ (Brazil, word by word) | |
| (eu) amo você | /ˈew ˈɐ̃.mu voˈse/ (Brazil, word by word) | Brazil |
These phrases are used to express deep romantic love or very close familial bonds. For expressing lighter affection, Portuguese speakers often use gosto de ti or gosto de você instead.
What does it mean word for word?
The word amo is the first-person singular present indicative of the verb amar, which means "I love".
Which one should you use?
The forms differ primarily by region and sentence structure. amo-te is the standard way to say "I love you" in Portugal. In Brazil, the most common way to express romantic love in spoken language is (eu) te amo, while (eu) amo você is also used and can be perceived as slightly more direct or formal depending on the regional context.
Is it said differently in some regions?
(eu) te amo and (eu) amo você are the forms used in Brazil.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the European Portuguese form amo-te, the pronoun te is attached to the end of the verb amo with a hyphen. In the Brazilian form te amo, the object pronoun te is placed before the verb, which is common in colloquial speech.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of amo-te is /ˈɐ̃.mu.tʃi/. It has 3 syllables and the stress is on the 1st syllable.
When do people say it?
In Brazil, the word amor is commonly used as a term of endearment, as is the word amorzinho.
Did you know?
- The word você used in amo você evolved from the phrase vossa mercee, which literally means 'your mercy'.
- Portuguese has a specific word, saudade, which is often paired with amo-te to express a love mixed with the pain of missing someone.
- In Brazil, the word amor is so frequently used as a generic term of endearment that it is often used with strangers in friendly service encounters.
Examples in context
- Amo-te de todo o coração.I love you with all my heart.This sentence is useful for expressing love with deep sincerity using amo-te.Tatoeba #7101021 by iart61, translation #68788 by CK
- Amo-te mais que ontem e menos que amanhã.I love you more than yesterday and less than tomorrow.This sentence is useful for expressing a comparison of love over time using amo-te.Tatoeba #2614247 by alexmarcelo, translation #2963419 by marcelostockle
- Amo-te.I love you.This sentence is a simple, direct way to say "I love you" using amo-te.Tatoeba #1382784 by tulio, translation #1434 by awael58
- Meu amor, você é a luz da minha vida.My love, you are the light of my life.
- Amor, eu te amo desde o primeiro dia em que te vi.Love, I've loved you since the first day I saw you.
- Te adoro, meu amor. Você torna a minha vida mais completa.I adore you, my love. You make my life complete.
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Beatriz and Rodrigo are saying goodbye before work.
- BeatrizAmo-te muito, Rodrigo.I love you very much, Rodrigo.
- RodrigoEu também amo-te, Beatriz.I love you too, Beatriz.
- BeatrizTenha um bom dia!Have a good day!
- RodrigoObrigado, querida.Thank you, dear.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I love you” translations and entries amo-te, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (eu, te, amo, você) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries amo, te, você, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
