Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| te quiero | /te ˈkjeɾo/ |
| te amo | /te ˈamo/ |
The phrase is used to affirm romantic or deep emotional feelings. Te amo is the most common and direct way to express love to someone with whom you share a deep emotional connection. Te quiero expresses affection in a less intense way and is widely used among close friends, family members and romantic partners.
What does it mean word for word?
In te amo, the word te means "you" (as an object) and amo is the first-person singular conjugation of the verb amar, which means "to love".
Which one should you use?
Te amo is used for deep, intense or romantic love. In contrast, te quiero is a less intense way to say "I love you" and is commonly used for affection towards friends, family or during the early stages of a romantic relationship.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In parts of Latin America, the phrase te quiero mucho can be shortened simply to te quiero.
How does it change in a sentence?
Te amo uses the informal tú form of the object pronoun. If you are speaking to someone formally, you should use lo amo or la amo instead.
How do you pronounce it?
/te ˈamo/
Did you know?
- While te quiero is often translated as 'I love you', its literal meaning is 'I want you'. This reflects a conceptual link between affection and desire in the Spanish language.
- In certain regions of Spain, te quiero is the standard way to express romantic love, while te amo can sound overly dramatic or like a line from a dubbed movie.
- The word amo is a conjugation of amar, a verb that shares a root with the English word 'amiable', meaning friendly or pleasant.
Examples in context
- Sé que te amo.I know I love you.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase te amo.Tatoeba #2412405 by marcelostockle, translation #2375989 by CK
- Te amo, tesoro mío.I love you, sweetheart.Tatoeba #1277931 by marcelostockle, translation #139171 by fengrim
- Te amo tal como sos.I love you just as you are.Tatoeba #998944 by hayastan, translation #386518 by Dorenda
- Su Excelencia, le amo con todo mi corazón y le agradezco su bondad infinita.Your Excellency, I love you with all my heart and appreciate your infinite kindness.
- Mi amor, te amo más de lo que las palabras pueden expresar. Eres mi vida.My love, I love you more than words can express. You are my life.
- ¡Hola hermanito! Solo quería decirte que te quiero mucho y siempre estaré aquí para ti.Hey little brother! I just wanted to let you know that I love you a lot and will always be here for you.
- 132 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and Elena are having a quiet dinner at home.
- JavierEres el amor de mi vida.You are the love of my life.
- ElenaY tú eres el mío, Javier.And you are mine, Javier.
- JavierTe amo con todo mi corazón.I love you with all my heart.
- ElenaYo también te amo.I love you too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “i love you” translations and entries te quiero, te amo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
