Spanish Love & Romance

Spanish Love Words and Phrases

See also Sex Words, Spanish Words & Phrases

Spanish is a romantic language. Almost everything sounds more romantic in Spanish than in English, don’t you think?

On this page you can learn the vocabulary of love and romance. Try them out on someone special.

How to Say “Sweetheart” in Spanish

In English we call our loved ones “dear”, “honey” or “sweetheart”. Here are Spanish words you can use to express the same idea.

cariño – dear
mi amor – my love
mi vida – my life
corazón – heart
mi reina/rey – my queen/king
tesoro – treasure
querida/querido – dear
nena/nene – baby
muñeca – doll
guapa/guapo – gorgeous
bonita – pretty
novia/novio – girlfriend/boyfriend
esposa/marido – wife/husband

Expressions of Love

Now that you know how to address your loved ones, you will need a few handy phrases to make them feel special.

Spanish has two verbs that express love: amar and querer. Generally speaking, amar is stronger and you will probably only use it with your spouse or with whomever you are romantically involved. Querer is more affectionate and less passionate. You can use it with your friends and family.

There’s a famous song by El Príncipe de la Cancion, José José, called “Amar y Querer” which explains the difference between the two in a highly romanticized way. Here are the lyrics. By the way, listening to Latin songs and studying the lyrics is a great way to improve your Spanish.

I love you – te quiero, te amo
you’re beautiful – eres muy bonita
you’re handsome – eres guapo
I’m crazy about you – estoy loco por ti
you drive me crazy – me vuelves loco
you are very sexy – eres muy sensual, eres muy sexy
you have a great body – tienes un magnífico cuerpo
you have a beautiful smile – tu sonrisa es bonita
I need you – te necesito
I want you – te deseo
I can’t live without you – no quiero vivir sin ti
kiss me – bésame
hug me – abrázame
I miss you – te extraño, te echo de menos