sabes que te quiero
/sabes ke te kjeɾo/from spelling rules
The English phrase "you know I love you" is translated into Spanish as sabes que te quiero.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, sabes que te quiero means "you know that I want you". Although the verb querer literally means "to want", when used in the context of people, it is the standard way to say "to love" or "to care for".
Which one should you use?
There is a distinction between levels of intensity. sabes que te quiero is common for friends and family, whereas sabes que te amo is used for much deeper, more intense romantic love.
How do you pronounce it?
/sabes ke te kjeɾo/
Did you know?
- The word sabes comes from the same root as the English 'sapient' or 'sapiens', meaning 'wise'.
- The word que is a linguistic 'usurper' that took over the functions of the Latin word 'quod' while actually descending from the Latin 'quid', which means 'what'.
- The word sabes comes from the verb saber, which is used for factual knowledge, whereas conocer is used for being acquainted with people.
Examples in context
- ¡Sabes que te quiero!You know I love you!This example shows how to use sabes que te quiero in an exclamation.Tatoeba #2219499 by Shishir, translation #1417458 by CK
- ¿No sabes que te quiero?Don't you know I love you?This example shows how to use sabes que te quiero in a question.Tatoeba #10742195 by saverius, translation #10742064 by CK
- Sabes que te quieroYou know that I love you
- Sabes que te quiero muchoYou know that I love you very much
- Tú sabes que te quiero muchoYou know that I love you a lot
- Tú sabes que te quiero mucho.You know that I love you very much.
Example conversation
A couple is having a quiet moment at home.
- JavierNo estés triste, sabes que te quiero.Don't be sad, you know I love you.
- LucíaLo sé, Javier, gracias por estar aquí.I know, Javier, thank you for being here.
- JavierSiempre voy a cuidarte.I am always going to take care of you.
- LucíaY yo a ti.And I [will take care of] you.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries que, te, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
