Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| te amo | /te ˈamo/ |
| te quiero | /te ˈkjeɾo/ |
These phrases are used to affirm romantic or affectionate feelings. Te amo is suitable for expressing deep, romantic love. Te quiero is a common and widely used way to say "I love you" to friends, family and romantic partners. Other related expressions include te adoro to convey deep affection and adoration, and me gustas mucho to mean "I really like you a lot" when developing romantic feelings.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, te quiero means "I want you", but in a social context, it is the standard way to say "I love you" to friends and family.
Which one should you use?
Te amo is used for deep, intense or romantic love. In contrast, te quiero is used for friends, family members or in the earlier stages of a romantic relationship.
How does it change in a sentence?
In these forms, the use of te indicates you are speaking to one person in an informal or familiar manner. To say "I love you" to a group of people, you change the object pronoun to los or las.
How do you pronounce it?
/te ˈamo/
Did you know?
- The phrase te amo is often considered so intense and heavy that using it too early in a dating relationship might actually scare a partner away.
- Depending on the region, te quiero can be used with pets and objects, whereas te amo is almost exclusively reserved for humans and divine entities.
- The word te comes from the Latin accusative form tē, which was used to indicate the person receiving the action of the verb.
Examples in context
- Sé que te amo.I know I love you.This sentence shows the use of te amo in a statement of knowledge.Tatoeba #2412405 by marcelostockle, translation #2375989 by CK
- Te amo, tesoro mío.I love you, sweetheart.This sentence uses te amo alongside an affectionate term of endearment.Tatoeba #1277931 by marcelostockle, translation #139171 by fengrim
- Te amo tal como sos.I love you just as you are.This sentence uses te amo to express loving someone for who they are.Tatoeba #998944 by hayastan, translation #386518 by Dorenda
- Mi amor, te amo más de lo que puedes imaginar.My love, I love you more than you can imagine.
- Señora López, le quiero expresar mi más sincero amor y gratitud.Mrs. López, I want to express my deepest love and gratitude to you.
- No puedo negar lo que siento, estoy completamente enamorada de ti.I can't deny what I feel, I'm completely in love with you.
- ¡Feliz cumpleaños, mamá! Te quiero mucho.Happy birthday, mom! I love you very much.
- Eres mi todo, te adoro, mi vida.You are my everything, I adore you, my love.
- 132 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple is having a quiet dinner at home.
- AlejandroTe amo, Lucía.I love you, Lucía.
- LucíaYo también te amo, Alejandro.I love you too, Alejandro.
- Alejandro¿Lo dices en serio?Are you serious?
- LucíaClaro que sí.Of course I am.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I love you” translations and entries te amo, te quiero, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries amo, te, te amo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
