te amo
/te ˈamo/
In Spanish, 'i love you' is expressed 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/ |
Both phrases are used to express affection, but they differ in intensity and the type of relationship they describe.
Which one should you use?
te amo is used for deep, intense or romantic love. In contrast, te quiero is used for friends, family or the earlier stages of a romantic relationship.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Guatemala, te quiero is an informal way to say 'I love you'.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase te amo, the word te is the object pronoun meaning 'you' and is placed before the conjugated verb amo.
How do you pronounce it?
/te ˈamo/
Did you know?
- Spanish has the word querencia, derived from the same root as te quiero, which describes a place where one feels safe and at home.
- While te quiero means 'I love you' in many places, it can also be translated as 'I want you', which might lead to misunderstandings in specific romantic contexts.
- In certain parts of Spain, the distinction between te quiero and te amo is even more pronounced than in the Americas, with te amo being reserved almost exclusively for literature or song.
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 to 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 acceptance of a person using te amo.Tatoeba #998944 by hayastan, translation #386518 by Dorenda
- Eres lo mejor que me ha pasado en la vida, te quiero muchísimo.You are the best thing that has happened to me in life, I love you very much.
- 132 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and Elena are having a romantic dinner at a restaurant.
- JavierTe amo, Elena.I love you, Elena.
- ElenaYo también te amo, Javier.I love you too, Javier.
- JavierEres lo mejor de mi vida.You are the best thing in my life.
- ElenaGracias por ser tan especial.Thank you for being so special.
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.
