I Love You in Spanish
I love you in Spanish is te quiero (teh KYEH-roh) or te amo (teh AH-moh).
Te amo teh AH-moh
Te quiero works for a partner, family and close friends. Te amo is stronger and more solemn, mostly for a partner.
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Scan with your phone camera All the ways to say I love you in Spanish
Most of these use tú, the informal "you": they are things you say to people close to you. Tap the speaker to hear each one.
| Phrase | Listen | Meaning | When to use it | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Te quiero teh KYEH-roh | I love you | A partner, family, close friends. The everyday one | Informal | |
| Te amo teh AH-moh | I love you | Deep, romantic love, said mostly to a partner. Stronger and more solemn than te quiero | Informal | |
| Te quiero mucho teh KYEH-roh MOO-choh | I love you very much | Warm and very common with family and friends | Informal | |
| Yo también te quiero yoh tahm-BYEHN teh KYEH-roh | I love you too | The reply. Shorter: y yo a ti (literally "and I you"). If they said te amo, answer yo también te amo | Informal | |
| Los quiero lohs KYEH-roh | I love you all | To two or more people, like your family (las quiero if they are all women). Most of Spain says os quiero | Informal | |
| Me encantas meh ehn-KAHN-tahs | I really, really like you | Usually flirtatious; said to a friend it means "you're wonderful" | Informal | |
| Me gustas meh GOOS-tahs | I like you (I have a crush on you) | Romantic interest. It is not how you tell a friend you like them | Informal | |
| Mi amor mee ah-MOHR | My love | A pet name for a partner; also common with children | Informal |
Te quiero or te amo?
Querer usually means "to want", but with a person it means "to love". Amar only means "to love", and it is the stronger, more serious verb. In short:
- Te quiero is warm and everyday. Parents say it to children, friends say it to each other, and couples say it all the time.
- Te amo is for deep, romantic love: big moments, anniversaries, love songs. Collins marks amar as the more elevated verb, for the deepest kinds of love. How often people say it day to day varies by country and by family.
- If you are not sure, say te quiero. It is never wrong with someone close to you.
You will also hear amar for family, as in the course sentence Amo a mi familia, "I love my family", though quiero a mi familia is more everyday. Note the a: Spanish puts it before a person who is loved, seen or helped (quiero a mi madre); English has no equivalent.
Friends, family and text messages
- Te quiero mucho ("I love you very much") is what you write to a friend or a grandparent. In text messages it is often shortened to TQM.
- To several people at once, say los quiero (Latin America, the Canary Islands and western Andalusia) or os quiero (most of Spain).
- Te quiero, mamá and te quiero, papá are everyday phrases, not big declarations.
Common mistakes
- Me gustas is romantic. To say you like someone as a person or a friend, say me caes bien or me caes muy bien.
- Me encanta ("I love it") is for things: food, a song, a place. Add the s and it is about the person in front of you: me encantas, usually flirtatious.
- With a person, te quiero means "I love you", not "I want you". With things, quiero un café simply means "I want a coffee".
- Te amo to a friend you met last week will sound far too strong.
Example sentences with audio
Course sentences come first, then a few more for real life.
- Amo a mi familia. I love my family.
- Él quiere mucho a su padre. He loves his father very much.
- ¡Me encanta! I love it!
- Te quiero, mamá. I love you, Mom.
- Te quiero mucho, amiga. I love you lots, my friend.
- Te amo, mi amor. I love you, my love.
- Yo también te amo. I love you too.
- ¿Me quieres? Do you love me?
- Me caes muy bien. I really like you (as a person).
Quick quiz
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Questions people ask
Is te amo stronger than te quiero?
Yes. Te amo is deeper; te quiero is warm and everyday. Which one couples say day to day varies from country to country and from couple to couple.
Can I say te amo to my mom?
You can, and some families do. Te quiero, mamá is the everyday choice; te amo sounds more solemn.
What does TQM mean?
Te quiero mucho, "I love you very much". It is texting shorthand, mostly between friends and family.
How do you say "I love you too" in Spanish?
Yo también te quiero, or yo también te amo if they said te amo.
How do you say "I love you" to more than one person?
Los quiero in Latin America (and in the Canary Islands and western Andalusia), os quiero in most of Spain.
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