te amo
/t͡ʃi ˈɐ̃.mu/word by word
te amo is the Portuguese phrase for "I love you".
This phrase is used to express deep romantic love for another person. While te amo is common, the most straightforward and common way to say "I love you" is Eu te amo.
What does it mean word for word?
The word te means "you" (functioning as an object) and amo is the first-person singular conjugation of the verb amar, meaning "to love".
Which one should you use?
te amo is used specifically for deep romantic love. In contrast, if you want to say "I like you" or express more casual affection, you would use Eu gosto de você.
How does it change in a sentence?
Although te amo is a standard way to express this feeling, you can add the subject pronoun eu (I) to form the phrase eu te amo.
How do you pronounce it?
/tʃi ˈɐ̃.mu/. The phrase has 3 syllables and the stress is on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- Because te amo is so weighty, Portuguese speakers often use the phrase querer bem to express a steady, caring love that is not necessarily passionate.
- If you are in Portugal, you will often hear the object pronoun placed after the verb, such as Amo-te, which sounds more natural than the Brazilian Te amo.
- The word amo shares the same Latin root as the English word 'amorous', which describes someone feeling or showing sexual desire or passion.
Examples in context
- Eu te amo muito.I love you very much.
- Saiba que eu te amo.Know that I love you.
- Eu te amo, meu amor.I love you, my love.
Example conversation
A romantic dinner at a restaurant.
- GabrielVocê é a mulher da minha vida.You are the woman of my life.
- CamilaE você é o meu grande amor.And you are my great love.
- GabrielEu te amo, Camila.I love you, Camila.
- CamilaEu também te amo, Gabriel.I love you too, Gabriel.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (te, amo) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries amo, te, CC BY-SA 4.0.
