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 feelings.
What does it mean word for word?
In te amo, te is the object pronoun for "you" and amo is the first-person singular conjugation of the verb amar (to love).
Which one should you use?
te quiero is used for friends, family or in the early stages of a romantic relationship, whereas te amo is much deeper and more intense, reserved for serious romantic love or very intense familial bonds.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, people often say Te quiero to express love to their parents. In Argentina and Uruguay, Te quiero mucho is commonly used to express love towards parents or family members.
How does it change in a sentence?
The subject pronoun yo (I) is typically omitted because the verb ending -o already indicates the first-person singular.
How do you pronounce it?
/te ˈamo/
Did you know?
- The verb querer in te quiero literally means 'to want', yet it is the standard way to express affection for friends and family.
- While English uses 'love' for everything from pizza to partners, using amo for a non-human object like food can sound strangely poetic or intense in Spanish.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, saying te amo to a casual dating partner might be perceived as a dramatic or even alarming declaration of lifelong commitment.
Examples in context
- Sé que te amo.I know I love you.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of 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
- Mamá y papá, los quiero mucho. Gracias por todo.Mom and dad, I love you very much. Thank you for everything.
- Padres míos, quiero que sepan lo mucho que los quiero. Son lo mejor de mi vida.My parents, I want you to know how much I love you. You are the best part of my life.
- Papá, mamá, los quiero con toda mi alma. Son los mejores padres del mundo.Dad, mom, I love you with all my soul. You are the best parents in the world.
- 132 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A romantic dinner at a restaurant.
- LucíaEres el hombre de mi vida y te amo.You are the man of my life and I love you.
- AlejandroYo también te amo, Lucía.I love you too, Lucía.
- LucíaMe haces muy feliz.You make me very happy.
- AlejandroEres lo más importante para mí.You are the most important thing to me.
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.
