ama
/ˈama/
The English phrase 'loves' is translated into Spanish as ama.
ama is used to express deep, romantic or profound love.
Which one should you use?
While ama expresses deep or profound love, the word quiere is more commonly used for affection towards friends, family or in less intense romantic contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
ama is the third-person singular present indicative of the verb amar. When ama is used with a specific person as a direct object, you must use the 'personal a' (for example, ama a Mary). For the first-person plural 'we' form, the verb conjugates to amamos.
How do you pronounce it?
The IPA pronunciation is /ˈama/.
Did you know?
- Spanish uses the verb amar for profound love, but for 'loving' a hobby or a food, speakers almost always switch to encantar.
- The verb ama shares its exact spelling and form with the Old Spanish word for a 'wetnurse' or 'nurse'.
- Depending on the context, saying te amo instead of te quiero can be so intense that it may alarm a partner if said too early in a relationship.
Examples in context
- Tom ama a Mary.Tom loves Mary.This sentence shows how to use ama with a person.Tatoeba #2094570 by Shishir, translation #2094575 by MethodGT
- Mi gato me ama.My cat loves me.Tatoeba #11917242 by Seael, translation #11306959 by shekitten
- Ella aún le ama.She still loves him.Tatoeba #1296690 by marcelostockle, translation #887408 by CK
- Él ama a su familiaHe loves his family
- Adoro a mi esposoI adore my husband
- Te quieroI love you
- Adoro a mis hijosI adore my children
- Me enamoré de ellaI fell in love with her
- Mi amor por ti es eternoMy love for you is eternal
- Yo amoI love
- Tú amasYou love
- 167 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and Lucía are talking about a mutual friend's new partner.
- DanielCreo que él ama a su novia.I think he loves his girlfriend.
- LucíaSí, se nota que ella lo ama también.Yes, you can tell that she loves him too.
- Daniel¿Tú crees que sea amor verdadero?Do you think it is true love?
- LucíaSí, Lucía sabe que él la ama.Yes, Lucía knows that he loves her.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ama, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ama, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
