What does it mean word for word?
The phrase los queremos, chicos literally means "we love you, guys." It is composed of los (you, plural masculine), queremos (we love/want) and chicos (guys/boys/kids).
Which one should you use?
The choice of verb changes the tone of the affection. While querer is the standard way to express affection for friends or family, using the verb amar in a phrase like los amamos, chicos makes the expression of love feel much more intense, profound or romantic.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For formal situations, you can use Les tenemos mucho cariño to say "We have a lot of affection for you guys." In informal settings, you can use Los queremos mucho or Les tenemos muchísimo cariño to express a lot of affection.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, when speaking informally to a group, the pronoun os is used instead of los, resulting in the phrase os queremos, chicos.
How does it change in a sentence?
If the group being addressed consists only of females, the direct object pronoun changes from los to las and the noun changes from chicos to chicas, resulting in las queremos, chicas.
Did you know?
- In Spain, if you use the pronoun los to mean 'you guys' instead of os, you might accidentally sound like you are talking about a third group of people rather than the ones standing in front of you.
- While querer means 'to love' in the phrase los queremos, using it with an object instead of a person, such as quiero un café, means 'I want a coffee'.
- The word chicos is highly versatile and can be used to address a group of friends regardless of their actual age, even if they are much older than the speaker.
Examples in context
- Los queremos mucho.We love you guys a lot.
- Les tenemos mucho cariño a ustedes.We have a lot of affection for you guys.
- ¡Los amamos un montón!We love you guys a whole lot!
- Los queremos, chicos, de todo corazón.We love you guys, with all our hearts.
- ¡Gracias por la ayuda, los queremos, chicos!Thanks for the help, we love you guys!
- Son los mejores, los queremos, chicos.You are the best, we love you guys.
Example conversation
Sofía is saying goodbye to Mateo and his friends.
- SofíaFue un gusto verlos hoy.It was a pleasure seeing you today.
- MateoIgualmente, Sofía. Gracias por todo.Likewise, Sofía. Thanks for everything.
- SofíaLos queremos, chicos. ¡Hasta pronto!We love you guys. See you soon!
- MateoNosotros también los queremos.We love you guys too.
