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 affection.
Which one should you use?
te amo is used for deep, intense or romantic love. In contrast, te quiero is used for more casual affection, such as with friends, family or in the early stages of a relationship.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form te amo uses the informal singular pronoun te, intended for one person you are on familiar terms with. To say 'I love you' to a group of people, you must change the object pronoun to los or las.
How do you pronounce it?
/te ˈamo/
Did you know?
- The verb querer in te quiero literally translates to 'I want you', which can sound quite different in English.
- The word amo comes from the same root as 'amateur', though in English the latter refers to someone who does something for the love of it.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, it is common to say te quiero to pets and objects, whereas te amo is almost exclusively reserved for humans.
Examples in context
- Sé que te amo.I know I love you.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase 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
- Hermana, te quiero mucho, eres mi mejor amiga.Sister, I love you a lot, you are my best friend.
- 132 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple is sharing a romantic moment at dinner.
- SofíaTe amo con todo mi corazón.I love you with all my heart.
- DanielYo también te amo, Sofía.I love you too, Sofía.
- SofíaEres el hombre de mi vida.You are the man of my life.
- DanielY tú eres mi todo.And you are my everything.
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.
