Meaning of "Te Amo"

Quick Answer

Te amo.in English = I love you.

What Does Te Amo Mean?

Simply put, te amo means I love you. It uses the first person present form of the Spanish verb amar, which means to love or feel profound affection for. Let's look at some common phrases with te amo to get a better idea of the translation of te amo!

Spanish	English
Yo te amo.	I love you.
Te amo con todo, mi corazón.	I love you, sweetheart.
Te amo mucho, mi amor.	I love you a lot, honey.
Te amo, bebé.	I love you, baby.
Te amo, mami.	I love you, Mommy.
Te amo, mi vida.	I love you, my darling.
Te amo^ tanto.^	I love you so much.
Te amo^ más.^	I love you more.
Te amo^ también.^	I love you too.
Yo también te amo.	I love you too.

Te Amo vs. Te Quiero

You may have noticed that a lot of the examples above use romantic terms of endearment. That's because te amo is usually reserved for your media naranja(soulmate) or for very close family members. Te quiero, on the other hand, can be used with just about anyone you love!

Still not sure about the differences between te quiero and te amo? Let's break down the whole te quiero versus te amo issue even further!

When to Use Te Quiero

Te quiero is used with:

Friends
Extended family members
A romantic partner who you really care about, but who you're not ready to say a forever kind of I love you to.

For example:

examples
¡Te quiero, Paty! Eres la mejor amiga en todo el mundo. I love you, Paty! You're the best friend in the whole world.
Te quiero, primo. ¿Nos vemos la semana que viene? I love you, cuz. Can we get together next week?
Beto, te quiero. Llevamos dos meses de novios y estoy más feliz que nunca. Beto, I love you. We've been dating for two months and I'm happier than ever.

te quiero

When to Use Te Amo

Te amo is used with:

Your soulmate
Immediate family members

For example:

examples
Te amo mi vida. ¡Feliz aniversario de bodas! I love you, darling. Happy wedding anniversary!
Te amo, papá. - Te amo también, hijo. I love you, Dad. - I love you too, son.