te amo
/te ˈamo/
In Spanish, "I love you" can be expressed as te amo or te quiero.
Meaning: affirmation of romantic feeling (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| te amo | /te ˈamo/ |
| te quiero | /te ˈkjeɾo/ |
These phrases are used to affirm romantic or deep feelings. While both translate to "I love you," they differ in intensity and the type of relationship they describe.
Which one should you use?
Te amo is used to express deep, intense or romantic love. In contrast, te quiero is used for affection toward friends, family or during the earlier stages of a romantic relationship.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Latin America, if you are expressing love to a group of people, you would use los amo or los quiero.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase te amo uses the informal singular pronoun te, which is used when speaking to one person you are close to.
How do you pronounce it?
/te ˈamo/
Did you know?
- While English uses 'love' for both a sandwich and a spouse, Spanish speakers almost never use amo for objects, reserving it for people or profound passions.
- While te amo is the peak of romantic expression, some regional dialects in Spain use te quiero mucho as the standard way to express deep romantic love, making te amo sound like something from a movie.
- The word amo can also be a noun meaning 'master' or 'owner', such as a 'master of a house'.
Examples in context
- Sé que te amo.I know I love you.This sentence is useful for expressing certainty about your love.Tatoeba #2412405 by marcelostockle, translation #2375989 by CK
- Te amo, tesoro mío.I love you, sweetheart.This sentence is useful for expressing love to a person you call sweetheart.Tatoeba #1277931 by marcelostockle, translation #139171 by fengrim
- Te amo tal como sos.I love you just as you are.This sentence is useful for expressing that you love someone exactly as they are.Tatoeba #998944 by hayastan, translation #386518 by Dorenda
- Te quiero mucho mi amorI love you so much, my love.
- Eres el amor de mi vida y quiero pasar el resto de mi vida contigoYou are the love of my life, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.
- Le quiero mucho y prometo cuidar de ella siempreI love her very much and promise to take care of her forever.
- 132 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A romantic dinner at a quiet restaurant.
- ElenaTe amo, Javier.I love you, Javier.
- JavierY yo a ti, Elena.And I love you, Elena.
- ElenaEres el hombre de mi vida.You are the man 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.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
