Te quiero vs te amo

[BIGBOY21]

Hey ladies and gents.

When i started dating my Dominican girlfriend, after a few weeks she would tell me ''Te quiero'' all the time, then this word gradually changed into ''te amo'' and now after 8 months the words ''te quiero'' has disappeared from her vocabulary and all she says is ''te amo'' constantly.

What i wants to know is, what the difrence is if there is one?

Is there a meaning to this, and if yes what on earth is it?



Bigboy.

 

[BIGBOY21]

Well i dint' realize it was that simple, i have been told that the words TE QUIERO is used in most Latin countries to mean I LOVE YOU and frankly i have never heard TE AMO used before by a latina and i had a few tell me ''te quiero'' but never the other one, well thanks for clearing that up for me dude.

Guess this means i had never been loved before but just liked.

Bumer

 

[Anastacio]

It isn't as stated. Te quiero your relatives, your close ones, a like/love without the passion and hardcore sex. Te amo your lover, with, massive but understandable confusion. In context is different to liking someone. Out of context can be liking something.
If that makes sense.
Basically she has put you up s notch in her world of whatever may follow.

 

[genistar]

Not that simple

I'm with Anastacio on this one. It isn't as simple as I like/love you.

Hispanics use these in context with their language/culture, which is completely different from the English language/Anglo culture. You can't plug this one into a translator and expect to understand it that way.

"Te quiero" is stronger than "I like you", but falls just short of "I love you" when used in a romantic or close friendship context. It can also be used as "I want you" - the difference is in the tone the speaker uses.

"Te quiero" is also used as "I love you" in the family context.

"Te amo" is a whole different league. It is used sparringly and only if the feelings are strong enough to warrant it between lovers.

In Anglo culture we use "I love you" for our families, close friends, girlfriend/boyfriend, lover, spouse, even our dogs and cats. We intuitively understand the differences without having to change the words. It's implied. In Spanish, "te quiero" is also implied... at least to those raised within the hipanic culture.

There are things that cannot be translated verbatum - this is one of those situations where the differences in culture and context need to be absorbed and felt rather than intellectualized. Hope this helps.

 

[bachata]

I'm sorry guys to desagred with you but the word amor is a heavenly feeling and te quiero is a feeling for anything in the earth.
Amor materno = mother's love, you will never compare this feeling with the one you can have for a girl that you just meet a week ago...

JJ

 

[Marianopolita]

To answer the query....

This thread was originally in the Mars/Venus forum and moved to the Spanish forum. Some of the posts were deleted prior to being moved.

Please keep in mind that it's now in the Spanish forum therefore the replies and ensuing discussion must be language related. Any Mars/ Venus type forum replies will be deleted.


-MP.

 

[catcherintherye]

JD, if you notice the first two posts and their apparent redundancy, you might deduce that there was a post between them. That was Bronxboy's post and it was subsequently deleted.

 

[Berzin]

If either phrase is spoken by a Dominican chica to her foreign boyfriend, they both mean the same thing-absolutely nothing.

 

[jalencastro]

but...

If either phrase is spoken by a Dominican chica to her foreign boyfriend, they both mean the same thing-absolutely nothing.

that's neither here nor there right my brother? LOL :cheeky::bunny:
MOOT POINT...LOL
love is in the air.....gre:

 

[calverde]

te quiero = I want you / I like you / you please me

te amo = I love you / you're the bomb baby

 

[jrhartley]

you please me doesnt sound right

 

[Matilda]

That's it am going for divorce. In 10 years I have only been quiero'd and never amo'd. How many years does it take to be amo'd??

Matilda

 

[suarezn]

I would say most Dominicans find "Te Amo" kind of awkward as it's not something we grow up saying. Te quiero on the other hand is very common and most likely what you'll hear when the guy / girl really loves you. If it's just "I love you, but I'm not in love" situation you'll either hear nothing or off comments such as "Te tengo mucho carino". My experience is that "Te amo" is that card you pull when you've exhausted everything else. I.e. She's leaving your @$$, you got caught cheating and she's not forgiving you, or in the case of one of those girls some of you guys hang out with she really wants that new I-Phone and you're being a tightwad...

Matilda: It sounds to me he's being the typical Dominican. Coming from another typical Dominican like myself....

Calverde: You're incorrect. I like you = Me gustas or some other phrase saying you're really digging him/her. For I want you there's not really a specific phrase that means exactly that in The DR. If you want someone you'd typically combine Quiero with other words (i.e. Quiero insert words contigo). You please me? Well that's more like "Diablo mami...tu si insert words here"

 

[Africaida]

My experience is that "Te amo" is that card you pull when you've exhausted everything else. I.e. She's leaving your @$$, you got caught cheating and she's not forgiving you, or in the case of one of those girls some of you guys hang out with she really wants that new I-Phone and you're being a tightwad...

You just saved Matilda's marriage :cheeky:

 

[Matilda]

My experience is that "Te amo" is that card you pull when you've exhausted everything else. I.e. She's leaving your @$$, you got caught cheating and she's not forgiving you,
[/B]"

Thank God. Have had it confirmed by surveying several Dominican men. They only say te amo when have played away from home, and are in danger of being found out.

So I have got it now. If he ever says te amo to me, I will cut his meat and two veg off with a machete.

Matilda

 

[Banker Bill]

Same Here!

...When i started dating my Dominican girlfriend, after a few weeks she would tell me ''Te quiero'' all the time, then this word gradually changed into ''te amo'' and now after 8 months the words ''te quiero'' has disappeared from her vocabulary and all she says is ''te amo'' constantly...

Same thing happened to me. In that 6 - 10 month period, "te quiero" disappeared and "te amo" became the standard.

-BB :bunny:

 

[Norma Rosa]

I use both terms with my grandchildren (I have two lovely nietos.)

Te quiero mucho. Te amo con todo mi coraz?n.

 

[suarezn]

Thank God. Have had it confirmed by surveying several Dominican men. They only say te amo when have played away from home, and are in danger of being found out.

So I have got it now. If he ever says te amo to me, I will cut his meat and two veg off with a machete.

Matilda

Poor guy just can't get a break :cheeky:

 

[AlterEgo]

I use both terms with my grandchildren (I have two lovely nietos.)

Te quiero mucho. Te amo con todo mi coraz?n.

Nice! I do too Norma Rosa. A few weeks ago I said 'Muchas gracias, mi amor' to my 4 yr old nieto, and he asked me what 'mi amor' meant. Now when his
Papa [grandpa, who speaks to him in Spanish] does something for him he says 'Gracias mi amor'. My husband gets the biggest kick out of it.

AE

 

[Eddy]

OK here it is from the masters keyboard

Te tengo mucho carino = I'll hang out with you but you're not getting any.
Te quiero = I like you a lot and if you play yours cards right you might get a little.
Te amo = Let's jump into bed.