Ways to say it
| Latin | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| te amo | [ˈteː ˈa.moː] (Classical Latin, narrow) [ˈtɛː ˈaː.mo] (narrow) |
singular |
| amo te | ||
| ego amo te | ||
| vos amo | plural |
te amo is an affirmation of romantic feeling and is the simplest and most direct way to say "I love you" in Latin. You can also say Amo te plus quam me to mean "I love you more than myself" or Animo te amplector to mean "I embrace you with my soul."
Which one should you use?
While te amo and amo te both mean "I love you," the word order between the object te and the verb amo is flexible and does not change the fundamental meaning. You should use vos amo instead of te amo if you are expressing love to more than one person. Including the pronoun ego in the form ego amo te adds emphasis to the subject, making it sound like "It is I who love you".
How does it change in a sentence?
The subject "I" is built into the verb ending -o, so the pronoun ego is often omitted unless emphasis is desired. The word te is the accusative singular form of tu, used here as the direct object of the verb. If you are expressing love to more than one person, use vos.
Did you know?
- While te amo is the direct translation, Romans often expressed deep affection through the concept of pietas, which described a sense of duty and devotion.
Examples in context
- Te amo, mi angele.I love you, my angel.Tatoeba #1010424 by alexmarcelo, translation #587159 by Manfredo
- Toto pectore te amo.I love you with all my heart.Tatoeba #13958912 by Vortarulo, translation #68788 by CK
- Te amo et semper amabo.I love you and always will love you.Tatoeba #5106655 by alexmarcelo, translation #5154822 by CarpeLanam
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A quiet moment in a Roman garden.
- AureliaQuinte, te amo.Quintus, I love you.
- QuintusEt ego te amo, Aurelia.And I love you, Aurelia.
- AureliaSemper tecum ero.I will always be with you.
- QuintusIn aeternum, amata mea.Forever, my beloved.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I love you” translations and entries te amo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries amo, ego, te, vos, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
