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/ |
te quiero is the standard way to express affection toward friends and family members, while te amo is used to express a much more intense and romantic feeling.
What does it mean word for word?
In the phrase te amo, the word te is the direct object pronoun for the informal "you" and amo is the first-person singular conjugation of the verb amar, which means "to love".
Which one should you use?
te quiero is used for friends, family or during the early stages of a romantic relationship, whereas te amo is much more intense and romantic.
How does it change in a sentence?
In these phrases, the object te (you) precedes the conjugated verb.
How do you pronounce it?
/te ˈamo/
When do people say it?
If you wish to express even deeper affection or love, you can use the phrase te adoro.
Did you know?
- The verb in te quiero actually translates literally to 'I want you', which can sound much more possessive or sexual in English than the affectionate intent it holds in Spanish.
- The word amor shares the same Latin root as the English word 'amorous', but it is also the root of 'amateur', which originally meant someone who does something for the love of it.
- The verb amar is used in the Spanish Bible to describe the divine love of God, which reinforces why te amo feels more spiritual or eternal than te quiero.
Examples in context
- Sé que te amo.I know I love you.This sentence is useful for expressing the certainty of your love using te amo.Tatoeba #2412405 by marcelostockle, translation #2375989 by CK
- Te amo, tesoro mío.I love you, sweetheart.This sentence shows how to use 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 acceptance of a person's character.Tatoeba #998944 by hayastan, translation #386518 by Dorenda
- ¡Te quiero mucho, mamá!I love you very much, mom!
- 132 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple is having a romantic moment at sunset.
- JavierTe amo, Lucía.I love you, Lucía.
- LucíaY yo te amo a ti, Javier.And I love you, Javier.
- JavierEres lo mejor de mi vida.You are the best thing in my life.
- LucíaSiempre estaré contigo.I will always be with you.
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.
