Ways to Say "I Love You"

This is a response to a recent request I received wanting to know how to say "I love you" in Spanish. In English, we only have the one way to say "I love you" and that's it. Now with Spanish being a romance language, you better believe there is more than one way to express it.

Te quiero.

Te amo.

Both of the above sentences reflect "I love you" in Spanish. There are differences as to which one you would use. It often depends on which region or country you are saying it and to whom you are saying it.

Typically, the most common way is te quiero. You would use it with family, friends, lovers, and significant others.In some places, this is the standard way to say "I love you." Let's take a moment to dissect this sentence so you have a better understanding of its meaning. Te is an indirect object pronoun. It replaces the actual person you refer to in the sentence without actually having to say their name. It literally means "to you" in the informal and familiar sense. Quiero is the conjugated verb meaning to love, to want. It is in the first person or the Yo form which means "I." The literal translation is "To you I love." If you want to express "a lot" to the person of your affection, you would add the word "mucho" at the end to say "te quiero mucho." If you want to hear what this sounds like in Spanish, click here to access or download the FREE MP3 file.

The other sentence, te amo, has a little more fire power than the previous one. It contains more passion or lust for the other person. This is why you often will hear it used in telenovelas, some TV shows in general, and in movies. There are different regions that will distinguish the two different sentences and use te amo for only their spouses, lovers or significant others. Again if you use this sentence in certain parts of the world, people will think you are being melodramatic or "over the top" with your expression. Like the previous sentence, te is the indirect object pronoun replacing the person to whom you are referring. Amo is the verb that mean to love and is in the first person (Yo) form representing "I." If you wish to turn up the heat and mean "a lot," you can tack on the word "mucho" at the end. This sentence would be "te amo mucho." If you would like to hear what this sounds like in Spanish, click here to access or download the FREE MP3 file.

If you wish to turn it down a notch or two and want to express that you "like" someone, you could use the following sentences:

Me gustas.

Me encantas.

Me gustas literally means "I like you" or "You please me." Whereas me encantas is a stronger "like" than gustar. It means "You enchant me." School children and young adults may use these sentences when referring to crushes they have. Like the previous sentences, you can say "a lot" by adding "mucho" to end of the sentence: Me gustas mucho. Me encantas mucho. If you would like to hear what these sentences sound like, just click here to access or download the FREE MP3 file.

There is just the one MP3 file which you may download for free to practice using your MP3 player or computer. You will hear each sentence at a comfortable speed twice followed by the same sentence adding the word "mucho" twice. Then you will hear the same sentence with the word "mucho" at a much slower rate twice. Try to practice and emulate the sounds you hear. To download it, right mouse click on the link and select Save Link As. Then specify where you want to save the file. Share this blog with all your friends! I would much appreciate it. Thanks in advance.

Be sure to tell the one you love (or like) that you love (or like) them in Spanish today!

¡Hasta luego!
~Keith

Baby Steps

When you first set out to learn Spanish, or any foreign language for that matter, it is important to take baby steps. After all, learning something well will take some time to do.

I like the analogy of babies taking their first steps. It is much like many things we learn for the first time. We won't do it right when we start, but in time, it gets a little easier and a little better. Learning Spanish is no different!

Many often ask me what are the first things to do in order to learn this language. The answer lies with you. What is your ultimate goal with the language? Why do you want to learn it? What's in it for you? When you have a crystal clear answer to those questions, you can begin your journey.

If you have a grandiose goal like speaking Spanish fluently, you must break that down into small goals. Again, you must have a clear picture of what "speaking fluently" means to you. To most, people would like to hold their own in a conversation. At this point, you have to start asking yourself more specific questions to help you get to accomplishing those smaller goals. What do you have to do in order to "hold your own" in a conversation? Do you need to know the vocabulary of the topic? Do you need general knowledge of politics, religion, or other conversational sources? What sort of conversations do you "hold your own" now in your native language? What is missing when you move to Spanish?

Dissecting these answers will give you insight into what you need to do next. Do you need to brush up on vocabulary? How about speaking properly -- grammar? Do you need to throw in some colloquialisms -- or idioms?

Start out small. I suggest write down a list of 5 tasks on an index card and put it in front of your computer or on the bathroom mirror. Somewhere you will see this card on a daily basis.

These 5 tasks will be duties you assign yourself to do as research or homework to get you toward your first goal. For example, if it is brushing up on vocabulary in Spanish. Select a couple of topics. Find the words you need to hold a conversation on those topics. Find their meanings in Spanish. Be sure to review any examples of their use in Spanish. Determine how you learn best and find a system to help you learn that vocabulary. Make your first task something you can do within one day. That way, it will help motivate you in continuing with the process of achieving your goal. Be sure to check off each task on your way to finishing the goal. Treat yourself to something special once you've done it. Motivators are wonderful ways to keep you striving and moving forward in language learning.

Take a moment right now to comment below on what your first step will be to learn Spanish.

Remember that when taking on such a task as learning Spanish, "it is better to take many small steps in the right direction than to make a great leap forward only to stumble backward." (Proverb)

¡Hasta luego!

~Keith

Help Me Help You

¡Hola!

From time to time, I like to get your input as to what you would like to see in my blog pertaining to Spanish. What issues are you facing? What challenges you with the language?

My desire is to bring you the best content when it comes to Spanish. I like to break down a common problem or issue or delve deep into a particular topic or grammar point. Sometimes, I showcase some interesting resources or knowledge about a thing, custom or place.

I need your help! It's your turn to help me help you. Take a few minutes to respond to this super quick survey below. I promise to take your feedback to heart.

¡Hasta luego y gracias!
~Keith

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