In this post: Learn different ways to say ‘I love you’ in Spanish for expressing love and friendship
Valentine’s Day is coming up and maybe you are wondering how to express romantic love or close friendship in Spanish? You’re in the right place!
Trying to express love for someone is a little more complex in Spanish since different verbs have very different meanings and subtle intricacies.
We’ll get you crystal clear on the best phrases to use in which contexts. Plus we have a fun DÃa de San ValentÃn note for your children’s classmates or loved ones!
But first, let’s start with a cute quote from Winnie the Pooh:
Piglet: ¿Cómo se escribe ”amor”? (Piglet: How do you write “love”?)
Pooh: No se escribe … se siente. (Pooh: You don’t write it… you feel it.)
Isn’t that beautiful? Alright let’s dive in now…
Psst.. if you love thematic learning and seasonal resources as much as we do, then explore our curriculum shop at Llamitas Spanish.Â
We have a Valentine’s Day unit as part of our Holiday and Seasonal Bundle that we think you will LOVE!
10 Ways to Say ‘I Love You’ in Spanish
Looking for different ways to say ‘I love you’ in Spanish? There are many verbs and phrases you can pick from, but all have a slightly different meaning.
Do you want to express a romantic love? Or perhaps more a friendship type of love?
Here you will find some basic phrases to express the right level of affection:
- El amor = love (noun)
- Me gustas – I like you (in a romantic way)
- Me caes bien – I like you (in a friendly way)
- Te quiero – I love you (friendship/casual)
- Te amo – I love you (deep affectionate love)
- Eres el amor de mi vida – You are the love of my life
- Estoy enamorado/a de ti– I am in love with you
- Me muero por ti – I die for your love
- Te adoro – I adore you
- Te llevo en mi corazón – You’re in my heart
Te quiero vs te amo meanings
The biggest confusion often comes with these two Spanish verbs that are both used to express love: ‘querer’ which literally means ‘to want’ and ‘amar’ which means ‘to love’.
‘Te quiero’ is most appropriate for expressing love to family or friends. It is more casual and less romantic.
Best used for:
- Extended family like cousins/ aunts and uncles
- Close friends
- Girlfriend or Boyfriend
‘Te amo’ is most appropriate for expressing love in a deep or romantic way. It is for people that are closely connected to you and with whom you have a serious relationship.
Best used for:
- Immediate family like mom/ dad / siblings
- Spouse
Spanish Valentine’s Day Cards
We highly recommend Paper Tacos for really fun and cheeky spanglish Valentine’s Day cards. They are shipped to your home, plus you get to support a small business!
If you are preparing a little Valentine for your child’s classmates, this love and friendship Valentine’s note is available to download in our Freebie Library.
More Valentine’s Day Posts:
Top 10 Spanish Valentine’s Day Songs for Kids
24 Spanish Children’s Books about Love and Friendship
Authentic Spanish Love and Friendship Poems
Founder of the Llamitas Spanish® Curriculum and former Spanish teacher. Corrie holds two Master Degrees in Spanish and Education. She lives in San Diego, California with her husband and two bilingual children.