Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| amo-te | /ˈɐ̃.mu.t͡ʃi/ (Brazil) /ˈɐ.mu.tɨ/ (Portugal) |
|
| (eu) te amo | /ˈew t͡ʃi ˈɐ̃.mu/ (Brazil, word by word) | |
| (eu) amo você | /ˈew ˈɐ̃.mu voˈse/ (Brazil, word by word) | Brazil |
These phrases are used as an affirmation of romantic feeling. You may also use Eu te adoro to say "I adore you," or Amo muito você to say "I love you very much."
Which one should you use?
The form amo-te uses the second-person singular pronoun te, whereas amo você uses the third-person pronoun você to address the person directly. Additionally, amo você often sounds slightly more formal or explicit than (eu) te amo.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Portugal, amo-te is the standard way to say "I love you". In Brazil, the most common way to say it in spoken Portuguese is (eu) te amo. Brazilians also use (eu) amo você. Furthermore, the expression Eu te adoro is used in Brazilian Portuguese for lighter situations or to express deep affection for friends and family.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the form amo-te, the pronoun te is attached to the end of the verb amo via a hyphen. In all forms, the pronoun eu (I) is often omitted because the verb conjugation amo already indicates that the subject is "I".
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈɐ̃.mu.tʃi/. It has 3 syllables and the stress is on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- The word você is a linguistic descendant of vosmecê, a contraction that has been shrinking in length over centuries.
- While amo-te is standard in Portugal, Brazilians typically move the te to the front of the verb in te amo, defying the formal grammatical rules of the language.
Examples in context
- Amo-te de todo o coração.I love you with all my heart.This sentence is useful for expressing the depth of your love.Tatoeba #7101021 by iart61, translation #68788 by CK
- Amo-te mais que ontem e menos que amanhã.I love you more than yesterday and less than tomorrow.This sentence is useful for expressing a poetic way of loving someone more each day.Tatoeba #2614247 by alexmarcelo, translation #2963419 by marcelostockle
- Amo-te.I love you.This sentence is useful for a simple declaration of love.Tatoeba #1382784 by tulio, translation #1434 by awael58
- Meu amor, eu te amo muito.My love, I love you very much.
- Amo você mais do que tudo nesse mundoI love you more than anything in this world
- Mamãe, te adoro muitoMom, I adore you so much
- Eu amo você, meu anjoI love you, my angel
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Beatriz and Rodrigo are saying goodbye for the evening.
- BeatrizBoa noite, Rodrigo. Amo-te!Good night, Rodrigo. I love you!
- RodrigoEu também te amo, Beatriz.I love you too, Beatriz.
- BeatrizAté amanhã, meu querido.Until tomorrow, my dear.
- RodrigoAté amanhã. Beijos!Until tomorrow. Kisses!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I love you” translations and entries amo-te, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (eu, te, amo, você) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries amo, te, você, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
