Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| te amo | /te ˈamo/ |
| te quiero | /te ˈkjeɾo/ |
These phrases are used to express affection or romantic feelings. While both translate to "I love you," they are used in different emotional contexts.
Which one should you use?
te amo is used to express deep, romantic or profound love. In contrast, te quiero is a common way to express affection toward friends, family members or during the earlier stages of a romantic relationship.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some parts of Mexico, the phrase Te amo un chin is used to mean "I love you a lot".
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase te amo, te is the informal direct object pronoun for "you" and amo is the first-person singular present indicative of the verb amar. In the phrase te quiero, the verb querer can mean both "to love" and "to want" depending on the context.
How do you pronounce it?
/te ˈamo/
Did you know?
- If you say te quiero to a waiter in a restaurant, they might think you are expressing a desire for them rather than affection.
- In some poetic contexts or old literature, te amo is replaced by te adoro, which moves the feeling from love to a state of adoration or worship.
- The pronoun te in te amo evolved from the Latin accusative form tē, which served the same grammatical purpose in the Roman Empire.
Examples in context
- Sé que te amo.I know I love you.This sentence shows the use of te amo to express a known feeling.Tatoeba #2412405 by marcelostockle, translation #2375989 by CK
- Te amo, tesoro mío.I love you, sweetheart.This sentence uses te amo alongside a term of endearment.Tatoeba #1277931 by marcelostockle, translation #139171 by fengrim
- Te amo tal como sos.I love you just as you are.This sentence uses te amo to express loving someone exactly as they are.Tatoeba #998944 by hayastan, translation #386518 by Dorenda
- 132 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Sofía are having a romantic dinner.
- MateoEres lo más importante para mí, te amo.You are the most important thing to me, I love you.
- SofíaY yo también te amo, Mateo.And I love you too, Mateo.
- MateoEres una mujer increíble.You are an incredible woman.
- SofíaGracias por decirme eso.Thank you for telling me that.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I love you” translations and entries te amo, te quiero, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries amo, te, te amo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
