Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| te amo | /te ˈamo/ |
| te quiero | /te ˈkjeɾo/ |
te amo is reserved for deep, intense or romantic love. Using te amo with a casual acquaintance or a distant relative can feel overly intense or inappropriately heavy. Other ways to express affection include Eres el amor de mi vida (You are the love of my life), Eres mi mundo (You are my world) and Mi amor por ti es infinito (My love for you is infinite).
Which one should you use?
In contrast, te quiero is used to show affection towards friends, family or during the earlier stages of a romantic relationship.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The phrase Te quiero un montón is used in Spain and some parts of Latin America to mean 'I love you a lot'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The pronoun te is the informal singular object pronoun, which is used when you are speaking to one person you are close to.
How do you pronounce it?
/te ˈamo/
Did you know?
- In Spain, te quiero is far more versatile and frequent than te amo, which is often perceived as a term used primarily in dubbed romantic movies and soap operas.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, it is common to use te quiero for pets, whereas te amo is almost exclusively reserved for humans.
- The verb querer used in te quiero does not only mean 'to love', but also 'to want'.
Examples in context
- Sé que te amo.I know I love you.This sentence shows how to express the knowledge of one's love using te amo.Tatoeba #2412405 by marcelostockle, translation #2375989 by CK
- Te amo, tesoro mío.I love you, sweetheart.This sentence is an example of using te amo with a term of 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 unconditional love.Tatoeba #998944 by hayastan, translation #386518 by Dorenda
- 132 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A quiet evening at a restaurant.
- DanielTe amo, Elena.I love you, Elena.
- ElenaY yo te amo, Daniel.And I love you, Daniel.
- Daniel¿Me lo dices en serio?Are you serious?
- ElenaSí, te lo digo de verdad.Yes, I'm telling you the truth.
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.
