te amo
3 synonyms for te amo, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Phrase — A Spanish and Portuguese phrase meaning "I love you", used for deep or romantic love.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
I love you
te quiero
je t'aime
How to use te amo
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
te amo mucho
yo te amo
te amo mi amor
siempre te amo
Romantic and sincere; not casual. Widely recognised by English speakers through song lyrics and tattoos.
Etymology
Spanish and Portuguese, inherited from Latin te amo, 'I love you', through ordinary sound change rather than borrowed from it: te 'you' plus amo, the first-person present of amare, 'to love'.
Full origin of te amo →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between te amo and te quiero?
In Spanish, te quiero is the everyday "I love you" used with friends, family and partners, roughly like "I care about you a lot". Te amo is stronger and more serious, reserved mainly for romantic partners and close family. Saying te amo too early in a relationship can sound intense.
Is te amo Spanish or Portuguese?
Both. The phrase is identical in spelling and meaning in the two languages, though Portuguese speakers, especially in Brazil, often say eu te amo with the pronoun included.
How do you reply to te amo?
The standard reply is yo también te amo ("I love you too") or simply también te amo. A shorter, warmer option is y yo a ti, "and I you".
