Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| te amo | /te ˈamo/ |
| te quiero | /te ˈkjeɾo/ |
These phrases are used to affirm romantic or affectionate feelings toward another person.
Which one should you use?
te amo is used to express deep, intense or romantic love. In contrast, te quiero is used for friends, family or during the earlier stages of a romantic relationship.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, close friends often say Te re quiero. In Mexico, friends commonly use Te quiero mucho or Te quiero un chorro to express affection. In Spain, the colloquial expressions Te quiero un montón and Te quiero un huevo are used to intensify the sentiment.
How does it change in a sentence?
In both phrases, te is the object pronoun meaning "you". In te amo, amo is the first-person singular conjugation of the verb amar, while in te quiero, quiero is the first-person singular conjugation of the verb querer.
How do you pronounce it?
/te ˈamo/
When do people say it?
While te amo and te quiero are the standard ways to express love, you might also use the phrase Eres muy especial para mí. to say "You are very special to me."
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, saying te amo is considered a massive emotional milestone that can frighten a partner if said too early in a relationship.
- The verb querer literally means 'to want' or 'to desire', yet it is one of the most common ways to say 'I love you' to family and friends.
- The word amo is a cognate of the English word 'amorous', both stemming from the same Latin root for love.
Examples in context
- Sé que te amo.I know I love you.This sentence shows how to express the certainty of loving someone using te amo.Tatoeba #2412405 by marcelostockle, translation #2375989 by CK
- Te amo, tesoro mío.I love you, sweetheart.This sentence provides an example of using te amo with an endearment.Tatoeba #1277931 by marcelostockle, translation #139171 by fengrim
- Te amo tal como sos.I love you just as you are.This sentence demonstrates using te amo to express loving someone for who they are.Tatoeba #998944 by hayastan, translation #386518 by Dorenda
- 132 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A romantic dinner at a restaurant.
- LucíaTe amo, Javier.I love you, Javier.
- JavierY yo te amo a ti, Lucía.And I love you, Lucía.
- LucíaEres el amor de mi vida.You are the love of my life.
- JavierSiempre estaré contigo.I will always be with you.
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.
