How to Say "I Love You" in Spanish [+ Tips] – MostUsedWords (2024)

Expressing love to people is both a beautiful and scary thing. You might be worried about their response to your sentiments, and this prevents you from truly being honest. When it comes to telling someone how you feel, the best way to ensure that you get it right is by being honest and using the right words.

The appropriateness of the statement you make saves you any misunderstanding that might arise from an improper declaration of love. In Spanish, there are numerous ways to say “I love you” to different people without going beyond the boundaries of your relationship.

Need to learn more Spanish vocabulary? Our Spanish Frequency Dictionaries are a great source! You will learn only the most common words. Pronouncing them correctly won’t be a problem as each word has a phonetic transcription using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA).

See below how to say "I love you" in Spanish:

1. Te amo. [te ˈãmo] – I love you.

Although this is the most commonly used translation of love by those who do not speak Spanish, there is a gap in the meaning and the context it is used in. This is an utmost declaration of deep and pure love, and it is mostly shared between people in a romantic relationship.

It can be said during marriage proposals and between lovers as it covers the depth of love in such a situation. Therefore, you should be careful about saying this to people that are not closest to you or those who do not feel the same way.

This phrase is best used for those in a long-term relationship, and this ranges from close family, friends, and significant others. You can always add the word much at the end of it to make your message more intense. “I love you very much” translates as Te amo muchísimo/mucho.

Example

• Te amo mucho y quiero pasar el resto de mi vida contigo. – I love you very much, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.

There are numerous words that you can use to depict the height of your love, to add meaning to your statement. These additional words are meant to cover the extent of your affection while at the same time removing the doubt that the love you feel for someone is comparable to another.

Depending on the words you chose, your significant other can gauge just how much they mean to you. Below are several famous declarations of true love:

• I love you with all my heart. – Te amo con todo mi corazón.
• I love you with everything in me. – Te amo con todo en mi.
• I love you so much I can’t breathe. – Te quiero tanto que no puedo respirar.
• I love you so much I can’t imagine a life without you. – Te quiero tanto que no puedo imaginar una vida sin ti.

2. Te quiero. [teˈkjɛ.ɾo] – I want you in my life

This phrase is sometimes used in place of te amo to mean “I love you,” but a translation of the words reveals that it means “I want you.” However, the usage in Spanish does not reflect the meaning in English. You will notice that the phrase ‘I want you’ usually has a sexual connotation.

Thus, the better translation of te quiero is “I want you in my life.” This is a strong expression and is used by lovers when they are professing their love to each other. However, you can also say it to your dear friends or family members.

Only use this phrase when talking to someone with who you share a personal relationship. It not only shows the person what they mean to you and how much you value their presence in your life but it also communicates a willingness to keep your love and association going for as long as possible.

Examples

• A pesar de los errores que hemos cometido, sólo quiero hacerle saber que te quiero en mi vida. – Despite the mistakes we have made, I just want to let you know that I want you in my life

• Solo quiero hacerte saber que te quiero en mi vida. –I just want you to know that I want you in my life.

3. Me gustas. [me ˈɣus.tas] – I like you.

When you are sure that you have strong feelings for someone, but it has not yet bloomed to love, this is the phrase to use. Me gustas is direct and personal to a perfect degree that does not sound like a prompt to get the other person to respond. It is ideal for many situations, including close friendships.

Examples

• No me di cuenta de cuánto me gustas hasta hoy. – I didn't realize how much I like you until today.

• He dudado en decirte que me gustas porque no sabía cómo reaccionarías. – I have been hesitant to tell you I like you because I didn’t know how you would react.

You can add descriptive words that quantify the level of your affection. Some common words that are used together with this phrase include a lot and very much.

Examples

• Sé que te dijo que te he estado mirando durante todo el evento, lo que ella no entiende es que me gustas mucho. – I know she told you that I have been looking at you throughout the event. What she doesn't understand is that I like you very much.

• Me gustas mucho y me gustaría llevarte a una cita. – I like you a lot, and I would like to take you out on a date.

However, if you want to use the accurate term that communicates from the onset that your declaration is purely platonic, you can say Me caes bien. This phrase is used for familiar situations and might be ideal for professional ones too. In formal cases, it is used where someone has impressed you with their skills.

Using this phrase requires familiarity or an awareness of a character in the person that you might like. For professional situations, me Me caes bien should be followed by a factor that you like about the person, or rather whatever led you to say it. This helps reduce doubt and remove any awkwardness that might result if the statement is left hanging.

Examples

• Me caes bien, la forma en que abordas estas tareas es muy impresionante. – I like you. The way you approach these tasks is highly impressive.

• Después de mirar tu historial, puedo decir con confianza que me caes bien. – After looking at your track record, I can confidently say I like you.

In some cases, there are utterances made to make a comparison between the object of your affection and another.

• Tu ética de trabajo es impresionante y de todos mis trabajadores me caes bien más. – Your work ethic is impressive, and of all my workers, I like you the most.

With all the alternatives available to tell someone you like them, some are ideally reserved for people who you are interested in romantically. These are individuals who you have met, or friends you have known for a while, and you wish to clarify that your interests lie beyond friendship.

The phrase to use in such a situation is tu me gustas. Although it loosely translates to, I like you. It might be taken to mean several other things. It can be a complement such as you are attractive, cute, beautiful, or handsome. You can add the word much for adequacy.

Examples

• Tu me gustas tanto. – I like you so much.

4. Te adoro. [te adoro] – I adore you.

The origin of the word adore gives this phrase a deep and personal meaning. If you tell someone that you adore them, you are saying that you have placed them on a pedestal, and they are important to you.

Te adoro can loosely be translated as “I worship you.” This makes this statement one that is reserved for people who you genuinely value, and you are willing to prove that you do.

You will find that spouses and lovers ideally use it, but it can be used by people who share an exceptional level of intimacy, whether in friendships or family. The usage should be limited to individuals who share the sentiments to avoid making anybody uncomfortable.

Examples

• Te adoro, mi bella reina. – I adore you, my beautiful queen.
• Espero que sepas que te adoro. – I hope you know that I adore you.
• Nunca olvides cuánto te adoro. – Never forget how much I adore you.

5. Eres mi mundo. [Eres mi mundo] – You are my world.

This is one of the most personal proclamations of what someone means to you. Considering how big the world is and everything it contains, telling someone that they are your world is a great way to say to them that they surpass all things that exist. At some level, eres mi mundo means that your loved one is all you could ever need.

Examples

• En este día especial, quiero hacerle saber que usted es mi mundo. – On this important day, I want to let you know that you are my world.
• Eres mi mundo y siempre serás el amor de mi vida. – You are my world, and you will always be the love of my life.

Another way to express similar sentiments is by telling someone that they mean everything to you – lo eres todo para mí. Depending on the situation or the relationship, you could make the message custom to the person you are speaking to.

Examples

• ¿Cómo puedo vivir sin ti cuando significas el mundo para mí? – How can I live without you when you mean the world to me?
• Tu compromiso con nuestra familia significa el mundo para mí. – Your commitment to our family means the world to me.
• La dedicación y el amor que me mostró en ese momento difícil significaron el mundo para mí. – The dedication and love she showed me at that difficult time meant the world to me.

6. Tu me completas. [tu me kõmplɛtas] – You complete me.

The sentiments in this statement show the existence of a relationship that has been beneficial to you. The intended meaning could either be on a spiritual, emotional, or mental level.

As such, this should only be used with people who understand that they have made a significant contribution to your life. Their actions and characteristics are what we credit for the completing factor.

Therefore, you might opt to mention what it is about them that completes you. In most cases, the person you say this to does not have to have done something major. Their existence and presence in your life are what you are appreciating.

Examples

• Me completas en más de un sentido. – You complete me in more ways than one.
• Tu amor y afecto me completan. – Your love and affection complete me.

7. Soy aficionado a ti. [soj afisjona ðo a ti] – I am fond of you.

This is ideally used for people who mean something to you, but the feelings you have for them are not intense enough to be classified as like or love. It is mostly used for those who make your in some way.

Someone you are fond of is not a vital part of you, and you can do without their presence. What you are saying when you use this phrase is that you appreciate their work, personality, and other attributes that stand out.

Examples

• Soy increíblemente aficionado a ti y a tu trabajo. – I am incredibly fond of you and your work.

In our Spanish Frequency Dictionaries, you will get 10,000 most used words in Spanish. Each entry also has an example sentence translated into English. What is more, 10,000 bilingual example sentences are a fantastic reading practice, too!

8. Eres mi único. / ɛɾɛs̬ˈmijuniko/ – You are my one and only.

This phrase singles out the person you are talking about from any other relationship you have. It communicates that you value, love, respect, and appreciate them. The magnitude of the personal essence in this statement makes it one that should be used on spouses and lovers.

Examples

• Eres mi único, siempre y para siempre. – You are my one and only, always and forever.
• Quiero que todo el mundo sepa que eres mi único. – I want the whole world to know that you are my one and only.