How to Say “I Love You” in Spanish: Te quiero, Te amo, and How They Compare to Me gustas and Me encantas.

One of the first emotional phrases Spanish students want to learn is how to say “I love you.” In Spanish, the two main expressions are te quiero and te amo, but they are not interchangeable in all situations. Understanding the verbs behind them — and how they compare to verbs like gustar and encantar — will help you sound natural and avoid awkward moments.

1. The Verb

Querer

→

Te quiero

The verb querer literally means to want, but when used with people, it expresses affection, care, and emotional closeness.

Examples:

• Te quiero → I love you / I care about you

• Quiero a mi mamá → I love my mom

In real life, te quiero is extremely common and natural. It is used:

• Between romantic partners

• Between family members

• Sometimes between very close friends (depending on the country)

Grammar Note:

Querer is stem-changing (irregular in the present tense):

Yo quiero

Tú quieres

Él/Ella quiere

2. The Verb

Amar

→

Te amo

The verb amar means to love in a deeper, more intense, and often more serious or poetic sense.

Examples:

• Te amo → I love you (deep, romantic love)

• Amo a mis hijos → I love my children

In many Spanish-speaking cultures, te amo feels stronger, more intimate, or more dramatic than te quiero.

Grammar Note :

• Amar is a regular verb

Present tense of amar:

Yo amo

Tú amas

Él/Ella ama

3. How This Compares to

Gustar

→

Me gustas

Now this is where Spanish gets interesting for learners.

The verb gustar does NOT work like querer or amar.

It literally means: “to be pleasing to.”

So instead of saying:

I like you

Spanish structure is closer to:

You are pleasing to me

Me gustas = You are pleasing to me = I like you

Structure:

Indirect Object Pronoun + Verb + Person/Thing

Me gustas → I like you

Te gusto → You like me

Pronouns:

Me = to me

Te = to you

Le = to him/her

Nos = to us

4. The Stronger Version:

Encantar

→

Me encantas

The verb encantar works exactly like gustar, but emotionally it is stronger.

Me encantas ≈ I adore you / I’m crazy about you

Not as deep as te amo, but stronger than me gustas.

Examples:

• Me gusta → I like

• Me encanta → I love (things / strong like)

With people:

• Me gustas → I like you

• Me encantas → I really like you / I adore you

5. Emotional Intensity Comparison

Approximate emotional scale:

Me gustas → Attraction / liking

Me encantas → Strong liking / fascination

Te quiero → Love / deep affection / everyday love

Te amo → Deep, serious, intense love

6. Cultural Reality (Very Important)

Most couples say te quiero in daily life.

Te amo is often reserved for:

• Serious relationships

• Emotional moments

• Long-term partners

Families almost always use te quiero.

If you are unsure which one to use:

Te quiero is usually the safest and most natural choice.