Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| querido | /keˈɾi.du/ (Brazil) /kiˈɾi.du/ (Brazil) |
masculine |
| amor | /aˈmoʁ/ (Brazil) /aˈmoɾ/ (São Paulo) |
feminine, masculine |
| tesouro | /teˈzo(w).ɾu/ (Brazil) /t͡ʃiˈzo(w).ɾu/ (Brazil) |
feminine, masculine |
These terms are used to refer to a person who is very much liked or loved by someone. You can use amor to mean love, often appearing as meu amor (my love) to express 'my sweetheart'. The word tesouro means 'treasure' and functions as an endearing term for a sweetheart, much like calling someone 'treasure' in English. You might also use bebê (baby) to convey a playful and affectionate tone.
Which one should you use?
While querido can mean sweetheart, it is also the standard word for 'dear' and possesses a broader range of use than the English 'sweetheart'. The form amorzinho is a diminutive version of amor used to create a more affectionate or 'cute' version of the word.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form querido changes to querida when addressing a woman. It is also very common to add the possessive pronoun meu (my) to amor to express 'my sweetheart'.
How do you pronounce it?
3 syllables, with the stress on the 2nd syllable: /keˈɾi.du/
Did you know?
- In many Portuguese-speaking regions, meu amor is frequently used by strangers, such as street vendors or shopkeepers, to be friendly rather than to express romantic love.
- The word querido is actually the past participle of the verb querer, meaning it literally translates to 'the one who is wanted' or 'the one who is loved'.
- While querido is a sweet term for a partner, in certain social contexts in Brazil, using it with a stranger can sometimes come across as overly formal or even slightly condescending.
Examples in context
- Querido, precisamos ir ao mercado. Estamos sem leite.Sweetheart, we need to go to the supermarket. We ran out of milk.This sentence shows how to use querido in a common everyday context.Tatoeba #1926657 by alexmarcelo, translation #837002 by nthkmf
- Olá, meu amorzinho.Hello, sweetheart.This sentence demonstrates the use of the diminutive amor in a greeting.Tatoeba #13080534 by carlosalberto, translation #13080537 by carlosalberto
- Meu amado, você é o meu mundo.My beloved, you are my world.
- Minha querida, você traz alegria à minha vida.My dear, you bring joy to my life.
- Oi, amor! Como foi o seu dia?Hi, love! How was your day?
- Amorzinho, você é o meu porto seguro.Sweetheart, you are my safe haven.
- Oi, bebê! Estou com saudades.Hey, baby! I miss you.
- Ele é um querido, sempre ajuda todo mundo.He is a sweetheart, he always helps everyone.
Example conversation
Rodrigo is greeting Juliana in the living room.
- RodrigoBom dia, meu querido.Good morning, my sweetheart.
- JulianaBom dia! Você dormiu bem?Good morning! Did you sleep well?
- RodrigoSim, dormi muito bem.Yes, I slept very well.
- JulianaQue bom, Rodrigo.That's good, Rodrigo.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sweetheart” translations and entries querido, amor, tesouro, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
