Te quiero mucho
/te kjeɾo mut͡ʃo/from spelling rules
The English phrase "I love you very much" in Spanish is Te quiero mucho.
In many Spanish-speaking contexts, Te quiero is the standard, everyday way to say "I love you" to friends, family and partners without the weight of Te amo.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "I want you much," where querer (to want/to love) is used to express affection.
Which one should you use?
While Te quiero mucho is common for friends and family, Te amo mucho is used for deep, romantic or much more intense love.
How does it change in a sentence?
Replacing mucho with the superlative muchísimo is a common way to add extra emphasis to the intensity of your affection to say Te quiero muchísimo (I love you very, very much). Using tanto instead of mucho shifts the nuance to "I love you so much (that…)" and is often used in poetic or emotional contexts.
How do you pronounce it?
/te kjeɾo mutʃo/
Did you know?
- The word mucho descends from the Latin multus, which originally comes from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'crumbled' or 'crumpled'.
- In certain contexts, Te quiero can be used sarcastically to mean 'I love you' in a way that actually expresses annoyance, similar to saying 'you're something else'.
- While querer means 'to love' in Te quiero mucho, it is also the standard Spanish verb for 'to want'. This means the same word is used to tell a partner you love them or to tell a waiter you want a coffee.
Examples in context
- Te amo mucho, mi amor. Eres lo más importante para mí.I love you very much, my love. You are the most important thing to me.
- Yo también te amo mucho. Eres lo mejor que me ha pasado.I love you very much too. You are the best thing that has happened to me.
- Te quiero mucho, amigo. Eres como un hermano para mí.I love you very much, friend. You are like a brother to me.
- ¡También te quiero mucho! No sé qué haría sin ti.I love you very much too! I don't know what I would do without you.
- Te quiero mucho, mi vida.I love you very much, my life.
Example conversation
Alejandro and Lucía are saying goodbye at the end of a date.
- AlejandroFue una noche increíble, Lucía.It was an incredible night, Lucía.
- LucíaSí, yo también la pasé muy bien.Yes, I had a great time too.
- AlejandroTe quiero mucho.I love you very much.
- LucíaY yo a ti, Alejandro.And I love you, Alejandro.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mucho, te, CC BY-SA 4.0.
