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 |
This phrase is used as an affirmation of romantic feeling.
Which one should you use?
The forms differ primarily by regional usage and word order. In European Portuguese, the pronoun te is typically attached to the end of the verb, as seen in amo-te. In Brazilian Portuguese, the pronoun is typically placed before the verb, such as in (eu) te amo. Additionally, the form (eu) amo você is used in Brazil and may sound slightly more direct or formal than (eu) te amo depending on the regional dialect.
Is it said differently in some regions?
amo-te (or Eu amo-te) is more common in European Portuguese. Conversely, (eu) te amo is the most common way to express romantic love in spoken Brazilian Portuguese, while (eu) amo você is also used in Brazil.
How does it change in a sentence?
In all these forms, the subject pronoun eu (I) is often omitted because the verb conjugation already indicates that the subject is "I".
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ˈɐ̃.mu.tʃi/. It has three syllables, with the stress on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- Portuguese has a separate word, querer, which can mean 'to love' or 'to want'. In many contexts, saying quero-te is a softer way to express affection than the intense amo-te.
- The Brazilian form você comes from the phrase vossa mercee, which literally means 'your mercy'.
- To express a less intense type of love, such as for a friend or a relative, Portuguese speakers often use the phrase gosto de você instead of amo você.
Examples in context
- Amo-te de todo o coração.I love you with all my heart.This sentence shows how to say "I love you with all my heart" 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 uses amo-te to express loving someone more than yesterday and less than tomorrow.Tatoeba #2614247 by alexmarcelo, translation #2963419 by marcelostockle
- Amo-te.I love you.This is a simple example of using amo-te to say "I love you".Tatoeba #1382784 by tulio, translation #1434 by awael58
- Eu amo-te incondicionalmente.I love you unconditionally.
- Eu te amo muito, meu amor.I love you very much, my love.
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Juliana are saying goodbye before work.
- LucasTenho de ir, Juliana. Amo-te!I have to go, Juliana. I love you!
- JulianaEu também te amo, Lucas.I love you too, Lucas.
- LucasVejo-te logo à noite.I'll see you later tonight.
- JulianaAté logo!See you later!
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.
