Free Spanish Lesson 39. To want or to love

Si algunos de ustedes have taken Spanish en la escuela, you probably learned the phrase “I love you” as being “Te amo.” Cuando I actually arrived in Latin America and lived in various regions por dos años más o menos, I heard many family members say to each other “Te quiero” en vez de “Te amo.”

These two phrases basically significan la misma cosa in Spanish. Sin embargo, if you translate “Te quiero” literally al inglés, it means, “I want you” which has un significado muy diferente than “I love you.” I would never say “I want you” to a family member in English a menos que I had a very strange upbringing.

Un ejemplo de esto is when I recently went to a show at Disneyland and they were telling chistes about people who live way in the back hills and are sort of out of touch con la realidad. They are the sort of gente who might say the “direct” English translation of “te quiero” to a family member. Uno de los actores in the show jokingly said, “If we get a divorce, does that mean you’re still mi hermana”? (Para que sepan, this is a funny chiste, but that type of relationship no es común here in the U.S.)

Now on a more serious note, hay un poco de diferencia entre “te quiero” and “te amo” in Spanish (los dos significan “I love you” not “I want you.”) A native speaker me explicó que “te quiero” is a more casual expression of love and that “te amo” is a more heartfelt, deep love that may be used entre una pareja casada por ejemplo.

Si alguno de ustedes native Spanish-speaking subscribers have more insight en este area, please enlighten us. Also, how is love expressed en su parte del mundo? Latin people are usually very affectionate y generalmente dicen “I love you” easily y regularmente to family members.

In the U.S. cuando gente are dating and they want to show that they are very serio us acerca de la otra persona, they say “I love you;” this takes la relación to a whole new level. Like Latin people, many familias Americanas also regularly hug each other y dicen “I love you.” A mi entender in places like Japan, the phrase “I love you” isn’t commonly said entre miembros de la familia or husband and wife. Please visit our blog to share your thoughts! Click here!

Moral of the Story: En diferentes partes del mundo, love may be expressed differently, but it is still usually the same feeling – unless you live deep in the back hills of America.

Vocabulario de la semana – Vocabulary of the Week

si algunos de ustedes – if any of you

en la escuela – in school

cuando – when

por dos años más o menos – for about two years

en vez de – instead of

significan la misma cosa – mean the same thing

sin embargo – however

al inglés – into English

un significado muy diferente – a very different meaning

a menos que – unless

un ejemplo de esto – an example of this

chistes – jokes

con la realidad – with reality

gente – people

uno de los actores – one of the actors

mi hermana – my sister

para que sepan – Just so you know

no es común – isn’t common

hay un poco de diferencia entre – there is a bit of a difference between

los dos significan – both mean

me explicó que – explained to me that

entre una pareja casada – between a married couple

por ejemplo – for example

si alguno de ustedes – if any of you

en este area – in this area

en su parte del mundo – in your part of the world

y generalmente dicen – and generally (they) say

y regularmente – and regularly

cuando gente – when people

acerca de la otra persona – about the other person

la relación – the relationship

familias Americanas – American families

y dicen – and (they) say

a mi entender – as I understand it

entre miembros de la familia – between members of the family

por favor – please

manden sus comentarios – send your comments

en diferentes partes del mundo – in different parts of the world

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Written by David S. Clark – President of Visual Link Spanish who says…

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Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.