te quiero
/te ˈkjeɾo/
In Spanish, "I love you" is expressed as te quiero or te amo.
Meaning: affirmation of romantic feeling (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| te quiero | /te ˈkjeɾo/ |
| te amo | /te ˈamo/ |
These phrases are used to affirm romantic feelings. You might also hear related expressions such as Eres mi vida (You are my life) or Eres mi todo (You are my everything).
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase te quiero literally translates to "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 affection toward friends, family or in the earlier stages of a romantic relationship. In contrast, te amo is used for deep, intense or serious romantic love.
How does it change in a sentence?
The pronoun te is the informal singular object pronoun, used when speaking to one person you are on familiar terms with.
How do you pronounce it?
/te ˈkjeɾo/
Did you know?
- In some regions, people use the phrase te quiero mucho to intentionally soften the intensity of the feeling and keep it in the realm of friendship.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, using te amo too early in a relationship can be seen as overwhelmingly intense or even frightening to a new partner.
- The word te in both phrases is actually a direct descendant of the Latin pronoun 'te', which has remained virtually unchanged for two millennia.
Examples in context
- Sé que te amo.I know I love you.This sentence is useful for expressing certainty about your love for someone using te amo.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 sweetheart using te amo.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 love for someone exactly as they are using te amo.Tatoeba #998944 by hayastan, translation #386518 by Dorenda
- Amo a JuanI love Juan
- Te adoroI adore you
- Eres el amor de mi vidaYou are the love of my life
- 132 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Sofía are having a quiet dinner at home.
- SofíaMateo, te quiero mucho.Mateo, I love you very much.
- MateoY yo a ti, Sofía.And I love you too, Sofía.
- SofíaGracias por estar conmigo.Thank you for being with me.
- MateoSiempre estaré aquí para ti.I will always be here for you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I love you” translations and entries te quiero, te amo, 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.
