Falling in love is an amazing experience, and most hope to find love in their life – that person who makes their heart skip a beat when they walk in the room.
Sometimes love knows no boundaries, and you can find yourself falling in love with someone who doesn’t speak your language well. Or perhaps they do, but you want to show your love not only for them, but for Spanish as well? Learning Spanish can also be a love adventure!
Well, look no further! We have gathered all of the Spanish phrases you might need in order to express your love to your Spanish-speaking partner. You can practice all of these phrases and more in our new Spanish deck: Love in Spanish.
Click the link below to jump to the topic you are looking for in particular.
- “I Love You” in Spanish
- Terms of Endearment
- I Miss You
- Hugs and Kisses
- Spanish Love Quotes
- Romantic Spanish Phrases Poster – print and share!
“I Love You” in Spanish
In Spanish, there are two ways to say “I love you,” depending on how much you really want to emphasize your love. Usually, these phrases are used in a long-term relationship, as with English.
amar – to love (a bit stronger, not always romantic), very strong in Spain querer – to want, to love encantar – to really like, to adore
“Te amo” is used when you want to declare your love to someone. In Mexico, however, it can also be used with parents and grandparents (usually mothers and grandmothers), and they might use it with their children. You wouldn’t want to say this to your best friend, though. You will also find “te amo” normally used this way in Latin America.
In Spain, “te amo” has very strong connotations of love – it’s something you’d say at your wedding, and it always has a romantic meaning. In Spain, you will not hear parents or grandparents say this to children.
“Te quiero” is used in a more casual way and literally translates to “I want you.” This is the most normal way to express love in most relationships (friends, family, etc).
Now, if you literally want to say “I want you” to someone (as in physical desire), you wouldn’t use “te quiero” in this case. Instead, you would use “te deseo.” Just realize that this does have a sexual connotation.
Saying “me encantas” to someone doesn’t necessarily have to imply a love interest, but it’s commonly used before all the “I love yous” start. Let’s say it’s a way of saying you like someone a lot, more than anybody else.
You can also say that to a person you have just met and clicked with automatically, with no romantic intentions, just to express how much you have enjoyed meeting him/her.
Here are some other useful phrases to use in expressing your love to your Spanish-speaking lover.
Estoy enamorado/a de ti (roughly the same meaning as “te amo”) – I’m in love with you. Eres el amor de mi vida – You are the love of my life. Te quiero con todo mi corazón – I love you with all my heart. Estoy loco/a por ti – I’m crazy about you. Me has robado el corazón – You have stolen my heart.
Not quite ready to express your full love but are falling for someone? Here are some phrases you can use.
Me caes muy bien – I like you (as a friend). (Make sure you emphasize the “muy” so they know you mean you want to be more than friends). Me encantas – I really (really!) like you. Me gustas – I fancy you / I feel attracted to you. This expression already implies some romantic interest.
*You would say “me caes bien” to a friend (that’s taken for granted; of course we all like our friends, but still). However, you wouldn’t say “me gustas” to a friend, unless you want to express more than friendship!
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Terms of Endearment
Terms of endearment are useful when you want to call your partner by a different name than their own, like “sweetheart” in English. Spanish also has pet names that you can use for your lover.
(Mi) amor – my love (Mi) cariño – my darling (Mi) cielo – my sky (my love, my sweetheart) Mi vida / vida mía – my life (my love, my darling) (Mi) corazón – my heart (my sweetheart, my darling) Mi rey / mi reina – my king / my queen
The possessive pronoun “mi” is optional. In Spain it is more common to call your loved one by the noun, instead of the whole expression: “Hola, amor” (“mi amor” could be used too, but it has a slightly stronger, more romantic connotation). Ah, the nuances of language…
In some Latin American countries, such as Venezuela and Colombia, “mi amor” is commonly used to address people close to you, such as family, friends, or even acquaintances.
In Spain, they use it to refer to their partners, but also to their loved ones (especially children).
Other important words you may want to use with your partner/boyfriend/girlfriend are:
Novio – boyfriend Novia – girlfriend Esposa – wife Esposo/marido – husband Pareja – partner
I Miss You
Te echo de menos (Spain) / Te extraño (LatAm) – I miss you. Pienso en ti – I’m thinking of you. Me acuerdo mucho de ti – Literally, “I remember you a lot.” Me haces falta / Te necesito – I need you. You would use this in a more dramatic context, such as a long-term separation or to express deep love in a very romantic way. You are probably more likely to come across this in Latin America.
Hugs & Kisses
Besos y abrazos – Kisses and hugs
These can be used either separately or together, and are also a very common way to finish letters or emails to people close to you, whether those are friends, family, or a significant other.
Abrázame – Hug me Bésame – Kiss me
Spanish Love Quotes
Eres mi media naranja – You’re my half orange. This means that you are my other half or soulmate in English.
Hoy te quiero más que ayer, pero menos que mañana – I love you more than I did yesterday, but less than I will tomorrow.
Ready to pop the big question? Then all you have to do is ask them:
¿Quieres casarte conmigo? – Will you marry me?
Other examples of the same question:
¿Te casarías conmigo? ¿Te casarás conmigo? ¿Te quieres casar conmigo?
Now this may surprise you, but all of these phrases are used throughout Latin America and Spain. So no matter which one you use, you will be good to go!
Spanish Love Quotes for Him
Te ves hermoso esta noche (LatAm) / Estás muy hermoso esta noche (Spain) – You look handsome tonight. ¡Qué bello te ves! (LatAm) / ¡Qué guapo estás! (Spain) – You look so handsome! Pareces un príncipe – You look like a prince. Eres el hombre de mi vida – Literally, “You are the man of my life.”
Spanish Love Quotes for Her
Te ves hermosa esta noche (LatAm) / Estás muy hermosa esta noche (Spain) – You look beautiful tonight. ¡Qué bella te ves! (LatAm) / ¡Qué guapa estás! (Spain) – You look so pretty! Pareces una princesa – You look like a princess. Eres la mujer de mi vida – Literally, “You are the woman of my life.”
“Te ves + adjective” is used in Latin America. In Spain, they use the “status” variation of the verb “to be” (estar). In the examples above, you will see the Latin American version first and the Spanish version second.
We hope you found these love phrases in Spanish useful. You can practice all of these phrases and more in our new Spanish deck: Love in Spanish.
You will need access to a Lingvist subscription in order to get the deck, but currently all new learners have the opportunity to use a free trial of Lingvist.
If there is something more that you’d like to see here, don’t hesitate to reach out to us on Twitter @lingvist so we can continue to add to this resource.
Romantic Spanish Phrases Poster
Feel free to print it for your study area, or share it on your website or blog.
