Ti amu
The English phrase "I love you" is translated into Sicilian as Ti amu.
Ti amu is used to express romantic love and passion.
Meaning: affirmation of romantic feeling (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
In the phrase Ti amu, ti is the object pronoun for "you" and amu is the first-person singular form of the verb amari (to love).
Which one should you use?
Ti amu is used for romantic passion, whereas Ti vogghiu beni is used for friends, family or a more general kind of affection.
Did you know?
- While Ti amu is used for romantic love, the phrase Ti vogghiu beni literally translates to 'I want you well'.
- In some traditional Sicilian social settings, expressing 'Ti amu' too publicly can be seen as a lack of modesty, whereas 'Ti vogghiu beni' is considered perfectly polite and socially safe.
- The verb amari in Ti amu shares a deep linguistic root with the Latin 'amare', but its pronunciation in Sicilian reflects a distinct phonetic evolution from standard Italian.
Examples in context
- Ti vogghiu beni, nonnu miI love you, my dear grandfather
- Ti vogghiu assaie, picciriddaI love you so much, little girl
- Ti amu assai.I love you very much.
- Ti amu, amore mio.I love you, my love.
Example conversation
A couple is talking before going to sleep.
- AntonioTi amu, Agata.I love you, Agata.
- AgataT'amu macari iu, Antonio.I love you too, Antonio.
- AntonioSì a cosa chiu bella dâ mia vita.You are the most beautiful thing in my life.
- AgataE iu t'amu pi sempri.And I love you forever.
