142 romantic ways to say I love you in Spanish + love quotes

Your quest for Spanish fluency won’t be complete until you’ve mastered the art of saying I love you in Spanish.

French might have the reputation of being the most romantic language in the world, but who says Spanish can’t be romantic? Spanish happens to be a Romance language as well, so it can be just as romantic as any other language.

In fact, Spanish is the national language of over 20 countries, most of which have very passionate cultures. If you’ve ever spent time in Latin America or Spain, you may know how fervent Spanish-speakers can be.

This makes Spanish an excellent language for love and romance, as there are many ways (we’ve detailed 140+ of them!) to express love and affection in this beautiful language.

So, whether you’re looking to impress a new señorita or simply want to show platonic affection to your in-laws or host family, this article will cover everything you need to know. Keep reading to learn well over a hundred ways to show your love in Spanish!

We've created a beautiful Spanish Essentials e-book to help you learn some basic Spanish words and phrases. Download it here! Or, you can celebrate love everyday and download our free desktop wallpaper.

Why learn ways how to say I love you in Spanish

You might be the kind of person who reserves the famous three words for their significant other, or maybe you wear your heart on your sleeve and say I love you multiple times a day to all kinds of people in your life. Either way, learning how to say I love you in Spanish will definitely boost your language skills tremendously. And while you may learn these sayings in online Spanish classes, there's no reason why you shouldn't get a head start.

Here are three reasons why learning all about love in Spanish will help you.

Find a Spanish-speaking significant other

One of the best ways to learn a new language is to communicate with your significant other in their native language. If you happen to be in a relationship with a Spanish speaker, then learning how to express love in Spanish is certainly one of the best things you could do.

There are countless ways to say I love you beyond a simple “te amo.” Spanish is spoken by over 400 million speakers, so the language is as diverse as it is romantic. Keep reading to learn how to say things like “I love you very much” and “I love you handsome” in Spanish.

Express your appreciation for loved ones

If you live in a Spanish-speaking country or interact with Spanish speakers regularly, you’ll want to know a few words to show your love and appreciation.

Even if you’re not looking to get involved romantically with anyone, in particular, knowing how to tell people that you care about them can get you far. Spanish has countless ways to demonstrate platonic love to others.

Understand romantic movies and TV shows

Without a doubt, one of the best parts about learning Spanish is consuming Spanish media.

When it comes to movies, Spain is a powerhouse of Spanish-language movie productions. There are tons of great romantic movies from Spain that you’ll be able to fully enjoy once you’re fully versed in the love side of Spanish.

And when it comes to television, few things in this world can compare to Latin American telenovelas. If you’re not familiar with Mexican, Colombian, and Peruvian soap operas, you are in for a wild ride. These over-the-top TV shows will have you hooked as the characters go through unlikely events of grief and joy, all while maintaining convoluted romantic relationships.

We’ll include a few recommendations of romantic movies and telenovelas at the end of the article, so stay with us!

How to say I love you in Spanish

If you’re a hopeless romantic, you’ve probably been meaning to ask your Spanish teacher “how do you say I love you in Spanish?” since day one. Well, you’ve come to the right place.

Let’s start with the basics. I love you in Spanish is te amo. This is the most direct translation of “I love you” there is. However, Spanish is not a language that you can just translate into English word by word.

Spanish-speaking cultures have integrated the concept of love into daily life, resulting in hundreds of different ways to show love and appreciation in Spanish.

We’ve broken down all the ways of conveying adoration into different sections so you know when and where to use each one. We’ve also included the IPA spelling and a pronunciation guide in case you’re in love and need to shout it from the rooftops right away!

To a boyfriend, girlfriend and/or romantic love

The most obvious person you would say I love you to is your romantic partner. Whether you’re trying to flirt in a Spanish-speaking country or already are in a committed relationship and want to profess your love to your partner, we’ve got your back.

Check out these wonderfully romantic ways to say I love you in Spanish to your boyfriend, girlfriend, or partner.

I love you in Spanish to a friend, family member or platonic love

Most Spanish-speaking cultures are very warm and fuzzy. Expressing your love for your friends, family, and close acquaintances is not only not uncommon, but almost expected. So, if you’ve made some Spanish speaking friends, don’t waste any time in learning ways to say I love you in Spanish to a friend.

Even in everyday situations it’s not unusual to tack on an “I love you” at the end, so don’t be surprised if you hear things like “Goodnight, I love you” in Spanish.

Here are a few dozen ways of showing your platonic love in Spanish.

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How to say I like you in Spanish

If you’re looking to ask someone out, this section is for you. How you say I like you in Spanish will very likely have an impact on the outcome, so make sure to pay close attention to the phrases below!

How to say “my love” in Spanish

If you’ve ever spent time around Spanish speakers, you’ve probably noticed that mi amor tends to be thrown around a lot. Although mi amor translates directly into “my love”, there are countless other terms of endearment that you can use with your loved ones.

Note that you don’t have to be in a romantic relationship with someone to use any of the terms below. Just be aware that they do show quite a bit of affection, so make sure you save them for your closest friends and family.

Will you marry me in Spanish

If you’re ready to pop the big question, this section’s for you. While you can be direct and just ask if they will marry you, there are many more interesting ways to ask someone to join you for the rest of your life.

Here are some of the ways to ask someone to marry you in Spanish, and congratulations!

Love quotes in Spanish

Spanish is an extremely romantic language, and if you don’t believe us, then these wonderfully-cheesy quotes about love in Spanish will surely change your mind.

After all, simply saying I love you very much in Spanish will only get you so far when there are so many beautiful love quotes to choose from!

Romantic Spanish songs

If you’re familiar with our learning philosophy, you know we are huge fans of using music to learn a new language. All you have to do is play the song and your brain will do the rest. It’s so easy!

If you want extra points, you can also sing along. But who are we kidding, Spanish love songs are so good it’s impossible not to sing along!

Si Nos Dejan by Luis Miguel

Few singers can claim the same romantic cred as Luis Miguel. The quintessential Mexican singer has been charming people’s hearts ever since his career started in 1981, even briefly dating Mariah Carey. If you’re looking for someone with a romantic discography, Luis Miguel is it.

As you can imagine, Luis Miguel’s music is a staple in any Spanish-speaking wedding. His song Si Nos Dejan is actually one of the most popular Spanish wedding first dance songs, as Luis Miguel sings about all the things he and his lover would do, si nos dejan (if they let us).

Como La Flor by Selena

Few Spanish love songs are more iconic than Selena Quintanilla’s Como La Flor. This timeless classic is as sad as it is inspiring, as Selena sings about how she knows the relationship is over and it’s time to move on.

Listen along to learn about how Selena’s love withered como la flor (like a flower).

Me Enamoré by Shakira

If you’re looking for something more upbeat and exciting, then look no further than Shakira’s Me Enamoré. This super fun and airy song will have you singing about falling in love, dancing, and enjoying some mojitos. What’s not to like about that?

Romantic phrases in Spanish

There are countless ways to be romantic in Spanish without actually using the word love. After all, being creative and not too direct is part of the charm of romance!

You’ll notice that a lot of these sayings compliment a specific body part. If you haven’t learned all the body parts yet or don’t feel too confident about them, you can check out our body parts in Spanish blog to brush up before you learn the romantic phrases in Spanish below!

Text slang for showing love in Spanish

A lot of conversations happen via text messages these days. Or more likely WhatsApp, if you’re in Spain or Latin America. It’s important to keep up with your Spanish slang, and especially texting slang related to love.

Here are some of the most common text messages to know.

3 tips for learning how to express love in Spanish

Watch Telenovelas

Latin American telenovelas are without a doubt some of the most dramatic TV shows on this planet. If you are looking for a TV show that will hook you from the start, you need to start watching telenovelas ASAP.

Since telenovelas usually revolve around a tragic love story, you can rest assured that you will learn a lot about expressing love in Spanish. With multiple story arches and plenty of escándalo, you will learn a lot about love as you watch these shows. One caveat: this is probably not a tip for learning Spanish for kids!

Luckily, you can find plenty of great telenovelas on Netflix now. Here are some of our favorites:

• Pasión de gavilanes
• El final del paraíso
• La reina del Sur
• Amar y vivir

Any of these will surely captivate you, and help you level up your Spanish while you have a great time!

Read romance novels

Learning Spanish means that you will be able to enjoy all the wonderful Spanish-language literature. You’ll soon find out that there are countless ways to express love in Spanish, as any romance novel will show you.

Some of our favorite romantic novels in Spanish are:

• Como agua para chocolate by Laura Esquivel
• El amor en los tiempos de cólera by Gabriel García Márquez
• En los zapatos de Valeria by Elísabet Benavent
• Travesuras de la niña mala by Mario Vargas Llosa

If you love a good love story, you are sure to love any of these classics!

Find romantic playlists on Spotify

We already gave you a few great songs in a previous section, but did you really think that was it? There are thousands and thousands of great Spanish songs about love, so don’t give up until you find some that you like!

Luckily, you can browse Spotify to find awesome playlists about love in any genre that you want. Here are some possible search queries that can make your search easier, depending on the music that you like:

• Canciones románticas en español (general)
• Canciones pop románticas en español (pop music)
• Canciones de reggaetón románticas en español (reggaetón)
• Canciones de rap románticas en español (rap)
• Baladas románticas en español (ballads)
• Canciones de rock románticas en español (rock)
• Canciones electrónicas románticas en español (techno)

No matter what kind of music you like, you can surely find something romantic to listen to.

FAQs about love in Spanish

What’s the difference between “te quiero” and “te amo”?

Both “te quiero” and “te amo” can translate into “I love you” under the right circumstances. Although “te amo” is the literal translation of “I love you” and “te quiero” translates directly into “I want you”, the line between them is a little blurry.

To know how to use them like a pro, you need to know that “te amo” is the more formal of the two. If you are about to profess your love to someone, you would absolutely want to say “te amo” instead of “te quiero” in order to not leave any room for interpretation.

However, “te quiero” can convey almost the exact same meaning and intensity as “te amo” in casual situations. For example, when texting, it’s far more common to use the acronym TQM (for Te Quiero Mucho) than TA (Te Amo).

So, when in doubt, think of how formal the situation is. The more formal, the more likely “te amo” is the way to go.

Is “Te quiero” platonic?

“Te quiero” is a completely acceptable way to show platonic love. Although its literal meaning is “I want you,” it really means something closer to “I love you” in everyday language.

“Te quiero” on its own does not necessarily have a romantic connotation, so don’t be alarmed if a friend or colleague says “te quiero” to you. It’s just a nice way to show that they care about you!

How do I respond to “Te amo”?

Whenever you say I love you to someone, you most likely expect to hear “I love you too” back. So, how do you say I love you too in Spanish? “Yo también te amo” is what you’ll want to say—if you do love them back, of course.

However, what do you do if you don’t love them back? Well, here are a few appropriate responses:

Now it’s your turn to spread the love (in Spanish!)

They say passion is enthusiastic love towards our work, and if you’ve made it to the end of the article, you are clearly passionate about learning Spanish!

Although our time is up, we hope you feel equipped to take on any romantic (and platonic!) endeavors with our 140+ ways to express love in Spanish. Now you’ll know what to say beyond a simple “I love you very much” in Spanish next time you need to share some love!

As always, keep up the good work and make sure to check out our Spanish classes and our Spanish blog for more study resources.

¡Hasta pronto!