Ways to Say “Love” in Spanish

Quick Answer

"Love" is a powerful word, so let’s make sure to get it right when we say it in Spanish! How to say love in Spanish depends on context and whether it's being used as a noun, verb, or as part of a fixed phrase.

What is Love?

The noun love has multiple translations, depending on the context. It typically translates as amor, which can be used to make general statements about love, talk about someone you love, or as a term of endearment.

For example:

examples
El amor es ciego. Love is blind.
Conocí a mi primer amor en la universidad. I met my first love when I was in college.
Gracias, mi amor. Thank you, my love.

Keep Calm and Love Learning Spanish

Using love as a verb is slightly more complicated. There are several verbs you can use when talking about someone or something you love in Spanish. Let’s take a look!

Spanish	English	Use
querer	to love	Used to express affection for family members, pets, friends, or significant others.
amar	to love	Generally used to profess romantic love for someone or when you really like something.
encantar	to love	Used when you really like something or love doing something.
fascinar	to love	Used when you really like something.
adorar	to love	Used when you like something deeply.

¡Cuidado!(Careful!) Encantar and fascinar function like gustar, so they must be accompanied by an indirect object pronoun and conjugated to match the subject noun (the thing being liked). For more details on how these verbs work, check out verbs like gustar.

Let’s take a look at these verbs in action!

examples
¡Feliz cumpleaños! Te quiero, papi. Happy birthday! I love you, Dad.
Te amaré por siempre y para siempre. I’ll love you forever and always.
Me encanta la comida. I love food.
Les encanta ir de compras. They love shopping.
Me fascina su música. I love his music.
Mis hijas adoran el helado. My daughters love ice cream.