Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| te quiero | /te ˈkjeɾo/ |
| te amo | /te ˈamo/ |
Both forms are used to express an affirmation of romantic feeling. te quiero is a common, affectionate way to express care toward friends and extended family members without the weight of romantic passion. te amo is used for much more intense, deep romantic love or very close family. You can also say Te adoro. to informally express strong affection meaning "I adore you."
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, te quiero means "I want you", though in a romantic context it is the standard way to say "I love you" to friends and partners.
Which one should you use?
te quiero is used for friends, family and the early stages of romantic relationships, whereas te amo is much more intense and reserved for deep romantic love or very close family.
How does it change in a sentence?
The forms provided are for speaking to one person. If you are speaking to more than one person, you must change the object pronoun from te to os in Spain or to los or las in Latin America, resulting in os amo or los amo.
How do you pronounce it?
/te ˈkjeɾo/
Did you know?
- Because te quiero translates literally to 'I want you', using it in certain contexts can accidentally sound more physical or demanding than a purely emotional 'I love you'.
- Adding the word mucho to te quiero does not just mean 'a lot', but often serves as a social safety net to make the phrase feel more casual and less intimidating.
- While te amo is the pinnacle of romance, using it too early in a relationship can be seen as an overwhelming or even alarming sign of intensity.
Examples in context
- Sé que te amo.I know I love you.This sentence is useful for practicing the form te amo.Tatoeba #2412405 by marcelostockle, translation #2375989 by CK
- Te amo, tesoro mío.I love you, sweetheart.Tatoeba #1277931 by marcelostockle, translation #139171 by fengrim
- Te amo tal como sos.I love you just as you are.Tatoeba #998944 by hayastan, translation #386518 by Dorenda
- Te quiero como amigo/a.I love you as a friend.
- Le quiero mucho, señor García.I love you very much, Mr. García.
- Le amo con todo mi corazón.I love you with all my heart.
- Te quiero más que a nada en el mundo.I love you more than anything in the world.
- Te amo con locura, mi vida.I love you madly, my love.
- Te adoro, hermanito/hermanita.I adore you, little brother/little sister.
- 132 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and María are sitting on a park bench at sunset.
- DanielTe quiero mucho, María.I love you very much, María.
- MaríaY yo a ti, Daniel.And I love you too, Daniel.
- DanielEres la mujer de mi vida.You are the woman of my life.
- MaríaEres el hombre más dulce.You are the sweetest man.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I love you” translations and entries te quiero, te amo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
