Is "te amo" used daily or only in a passionate setting?
I've been reading the "te quiero vs. te amo" information for an hour and I can barely see straight due to contradictions. I see that the general concensus is that "te amo" is used only when speaking to your life partner. What I still don't understand is, do you use this phrase with him/her in casual, daily conversation? Or would it only be used in a passionate setting or on rare occasions?
7 Answers
Part of the confusion, I think, has to do with regional differences, too.
When I was taking a Spanish language course in Madrid, the teacher explained that in Spain, one only uses "amar" for their one life's love. It is very special.
She went on to explain that in South America, the usage is different, and you hear the word used for many different relationships.
Something that may help you remember the difference between amar y querer would be to memorize:
I love you but I am not in love with you.
I disagree with this.
Yes, "te quiero" has a lighter connotation than "te amo". But I absolutely reject the notion that "te amo" only refers to romantic love between couples.
"Te amo" refers to the kind of deep, sincere love that one feels for someone really close: a spouse, yes; a parent, a child. Close girlfriends may say this to one another, although few straight men would be caught dead saying it to a best buddy.
"Te quiero" is a "safer" word to express affection to someone who is not quite so close. Friends, new romances, and so forth... But it can be used just as sincerely and effectively as "te amo" to mean "I love you" to someone close and truly dear.
Hi intense, have you seen this compilation?
As I understand (and use) it, "te amo" is something like the English "I am in love with you". You will only use this with a spouse, girlfriend/boyfriend, etc. It's not reserved only for romantic or intimate situations. You're just telling your partner "I love you". It's a particular "I love you".
"Te quiero" is used to say "I love you" to friends, family, etc.
I am not a native speaker, my Spanish is not good, but I do live and date in a Spanish environment.
Sorry. I did not mean to ask the difference between the two verbs. I meant, if you are married and you already know that you ama your husband and he you ama in return, do you say "te amo" every day before he goes to work, or do you wait until a special occasion like your anniversary? Or does it have sexual implications? After two people have confessed that they ama each other, do they continue to use the word with each other frequently?
Something that may help you remember the difference between amar y querer would be to memorize:
"Te quiero, pero no te amo".
I love you but I am not in love with you.
Maybe I am only complicating things, but I love the sentiments in this José José song, and it helped me clarify the two.
