Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| te quiero | /te ˈkjeɾo/ |
| te amo | /te ˈamo/ |
Both forms are used to affirm romantic feelings. While te amo translates to "I love you", te quiero is also a standard way to express love in romantic or familial contexts. Other ways to express affection include Estoy loco/a por ti (I'm crazy about you).
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, te quiero translates to "I want you", but it is the standard way to say "I love you" when used with family or in a romantic setting.
Which one should you use?
While both phrases mean "I love you", te quiero is used for friends, family and during the early stages of romantic relationships. In contrast, te amo is much more intense and is reserved for deep romantic passion.
How does it change in a sentence?
Both te quiero and te amo are used when speaking to one person. If you are speaking to more than one person, you must change the pronoun to los or las (for example, los quiero, las quiero, los amo or las amo).
How do you pronounce it?
/te ˈkjeɾo/
Did you know?
- Spanish has the word querencia, derived from the same root as te quiero, which describes a place where one feels safe and at home.
- In some Latin American cultures, te amo is considered so powerful that it is rarely said aloud even in long-term marriages, with couples preferring the softer te quiero.
- While te quiero is used for love, the verb querer also means 'to want'. In a non-romantic or non-familial context, saying te quiero to a stranger could be interpreted as a sexual proposition.
Examples in context
- Sé que te amo.I know I love you.This sentence is useful for practicing the form 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
- 132 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple is having a romantic dinner.
- MaríaEres el hombre de mi vida.You are the man of my life.
- JavierY tú eres la mujer de la mía.And you are the woman of mine.
- MaríaTe quiero mucho, Javier.I love you very much, Javier.
- JavierYo también te quiero, María.I love you too, María.
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.
