Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| te quiero | /te ˈkjeɾo/ |
| te amo | /te ˈamo/ |
These phrases are used to express an affirmation of romantic feeling. While te quiero is a common way to say 'I love you' casually, other ways to express affection include Me encantas (I adore you), Eres mi sol (You are my sunshine), Estoy loco por ti (I'm crazy about you) and Eres mi vida (You are my life).
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'.
Which one should you use?
te quiero is used for a broader range of affection, including friends and family and is less heavy than te amo. In contrast, te amo is a much deeper, more serious declaration of romantic love.
How does it change in a sentence?
te amo uses the informal 'te' object pronoun. If you are speaking to someone formally, you would use lo amo or la amo instead.
How do you pronounce it?
/te ˈkjeɾo/
Did you know?
- While te quiero literally translates to 'I want you', it does not carry the same heavy sexual connotation in Spanish that it does in English.
- The word amo shares its root with the English word 'amorous', which describes someone feeling or showing sexual desire.
- Using the formal lo amo or la amo to express love can create a strange paradox where you are being deeply intimate yet socially distant.
Examples in context
- Sé que te amo.I know I love you.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
- 132 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Elena are having a romantic dinner at home.
- MateoTe quiero mucho, Elena.I love you very much, Elena.
- ElenaY yo te quiero a ti, Mateo.And I love you, Mateo.
- MateoEres lo mejor que me ha pasado.You are the best thing that has happened to me.
- ElenaEres un hombre maravilloso.You are a wonderful 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.
