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 |
This phrase is used as an affirmation of romantic feeling.
Which one should you use?
amo-te uses an enclitic pronoun attached to the end of the verb, whereas amo você uses a separate pronoun, reflecting different syntactic preferences between Portugal and Brazil.
Is it said differently in some regions?
amo-te is the standard way to say 'I love you' in Portugal. In Brazil, the most common way to say it is (eu) te amo, though (eu) amo você is also used and is sometimes perceived as slightly more direct or less intimate depending on the region.
How does it change in a sentence?
In all versions of this phrase, the pronoun eu (I) is often omitted because the verb conjugation already indicates that the subject is the first person.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ˈɐ̃.mu.tʃi/. It has 3 syllables, and the stress is on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- Portuguese has a distinct word saudade for the longing one feels for a loved one who is absent, a feeling often paired with amo-te.
- The Portuguese word amar is reserved for deep, romantic, or divine love, while gostar de is used for liking people or things.
- The word você in amo você originally comes from the phrase vossa mercee, which means 'your mercy'.
Examples in context
- Amo-te de todo o coração.I love you with all my heart.This sentence shows how to express loving someone with your entire heart using amo-te.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 uses amo-te to express a poetic comparison of love over time.Tatoeba #2614247 by alexmarcelo, translation #2963419 by marcelostockle
- Amo-te.I love you.This is a simple, direct way to say 'I love you' using amo-te.Tatoeba #1382784 by tulio, translation #1434 by awael58
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Felipe and Camila are saying goodbye before work.
- FelipeEu vou embora agora, Camila.I'm leaving now, Camila.
- CamilaTenha um bom dia, Felipe!Have a good day, Felipe!
- FelipeObrigado. Amo-te muito.Thank you. I love you very much.
- CamilaEu também te amo.I love you too.
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.
