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.
What does it mean word for word?
In the form amo-te, the te is an enclitic pronoun attached to the end of the verb amo, meaning 'you'.
Which one should you use?
The forms differ primarily in the placement of the object pronoun and the specific dialect used. amo-te places the object pronoun after the verb, which is the standard way to say 'I love you' in Portugal. In contrast, (eu) te amo places the object pronoun before the verb, which is common in Brazil.
Is it said differently in some regions?
amo-te is the standard form in Portugal. In Brazil, (eu) te amo is the most common way to say 'I love you' in spoken Portuguese, while (eu) amo você is also a common way to express this, often used when the speaker wants to be more explicit about the object of their affection.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the Brazilian forms (eu) te amo or (eu) amo você, the pronoun eu (I) is often omitted because the verb conjugation already implies the subject.
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 speakers often use the word querer (to want) to say 'I love you' in a less intense or more platonic way than using amar.
- The word você used in amo você actually started as a highly formal title meaning 'your mercy'.
- While English speakers use 'love' for both people and pizza, using amo-te or te amo in Portuguese is almost exclusively reserved for deep, romantic, or profound familial connections.
Examples in context
- Amo-te de todo o coração.I love you with all my heart.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.Tatoeba #2614247 by alexmarcelo, translation #2963419 by marcelostockle
- Amo-te.I love you.Tatoeba #1382784 by tulio, translation #1434 by awael58
- Amo-te de paixãoI love you with passion
- Eu te adoro, meu amorI adore you, my love
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Felipe and Juliana are saying goodbye before work.
- FelipeAmo-te, Juliana.I love you, Juliana.
- JulianaEu também te amo, Felipe.I love you too, Felipe.
- FelipeTenha um bom dia.Have a good day.
- JulianaTu também.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.
