“I Love You” in Italian: 13 Phrases for Your Special Little Meatball
There might only be two main ways to say “I love you” in Italian, but there are lots of other ways to express love to everyone you know without actually saying it outright.
Let’s take a look at the options.
Contents
- The 2 Main Ways to Say “I Love You” in Italian
- How to Say “I Love You Very Much”
- 11 More Expressions Used to Declare Love
-
- Ti amo più oggi di ieri ma meno di domani.
- Ti amo, amore mio.
- Ti adoro.
- Ho bisogno di te.
- Sei la mia anima gemella.
- Tu mi completi.
- Senza di te, la vita non ha significato.
- Il mio cuore è tuo.
- Da quando ti conosco la mia vita è un paradiso.
- Sei la mia polpetta.
- Ti amo più di quanto Botticelli amasse la sua Venere.
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
The 2 Main Ways to Say “I Love You” in Italian
In Italian, the two main ways to say “I love you” aren’t interchangeable. That is, you can’t just choose one and use it any time you want to express feeling love for a person.
But why not just scatter one phrase the way you might sprinkle grated cheese on your pasta and be done with it?
Unlike cheese, which is yummy on both linguine and fettuccine, Italian “I love you” phrases aren’t suitable for everyone.
The familiarity, affection and status of a relationship matter. A lot!
One expression is used with family and friends. The other phrase is exchanged only between people in serious relationships. It’s saved for dating, marriage and deeply committed couples. So don’t mix the two up!
Here are the two main ways to say “I love you” in Italian:
Ti amo.
Ti amo is the Italian superstar of love expressions. It’s used to express that blissful, romantic love that we all hope to experience.
It’s shared between spouses and engaged couples.
It’s not for friends or siblings.
Remember, this is the completely committed, romantic expression that makes hearts beat faster!
Ti voglio bene.
This is the phrase to choose when you’re showing love to family members, friends or other uncommitted relationships. It translates to “I love you,” but its literal meaning is “I want you well.”
Your aunt gets this one.
Your best friend does, too.
And the person you’re dating casually but who may be on the way to becoming a serious partner? He or she should hear ti voglio bene—at least until you move forward in your relationship.
How to Say “I Love You Very Much”
Italy is well known for its warmth. The climate, food, drinks, landscape and sights attest to that.
Angel hair pasta can have some heat when it’s made Italian-style. Hot chocolate gets a kick in The Boot. And the landscape literally steams in Italy. Think about Mount Etna, Mount Vesuvius or the miles of sun-kissed beaches.
In Italy, love can also be heated up. In fact, with one tiny word, it can be spiced up nicely!
To add depth to ti amo or ti voglio bene, tack on molto (very) to either phrase. This small word brings each declaration up a notch.
Just remember how Italian sentences are structured and add molto after the verb:
Ti amo → Ti amo molto
(I love you → I love you very much)
Ti voglio bene → Ti voglio molto bene
(I love you → I love you very much)
11 More Expressions Used to Declare Love
Italian culture is super romantic but with only two expressions that say “I love you,” is it possible to go beyond this basic declaration? Yes, it certainly is!
A quick disclaimer: Use discretion when speaking these romantic expressions. They aren’t casual, so don’t toss them around like confetti at everyone around you. Instead, add a couple to your sweet murmurings and make your partner sizzle.
Ti amo più oggi di ieri ma meno di domani.
Meaning: I love you more today than yesterday but less than tomorrow.
This is what romantic dreams are made of, isn’t it? I don’t know about you but I’d melt if someone said this to me!
Ti amo, amore mio.
Meaning: I love you, my darling.
Adding a term of endearment always takes a sentiment up a notch.
Ti adoro.
Meaning: I adore you.
Who doesn’t want to be adored? So sweet!
Ho bisogno di te.
Meaning: I need you.
Needing is different from simply wanting. When someone says they need you it’s almost as if your presence is essential to their well-being.
Very romantic, no?
Popular Italian singer Eros Ramazzotti shows how spicy this declaration can be with his song “Ho bisogno di te.”
Sei la mia anima gemella.
Meaning: You’re my soul mate.
The phrase anima gemella (soul mate) elevates romance to the heavens, doesn’t it?
Tu mi completi.
Meaning: You complete me.
A declaration that turns two into one. Così romantica! (So romantic!)
Senza di te, la vita non ha significato.
Meaning: Without you, life has no meaning.
An undying declaration of love like the kind you’d hear in an incredibly emotional movie scene!
Il mio cuore è tuo.
Meaning: My heart is yours.
This is another way to admit that your heart belongs to another.
Da quando ti conosco la mia vita è un paradiso.
Meaning: Since I met you my life is a paradise.
Remember the Italian proverb about how it’s not good to solo in paradise? This expression shows that with the right person, life itself is paradise!
Sei la mia polpetta.
Meaning: You’re my meatball.
Consider the Italian meal of pasta with meatballs. Many would say that without the meatballs, the pasta or meal isn’t worth eating. They’d assert that it’s incomplete on its own.
This expression is one that my elderly aunt and uncle pass between them as often as they hand the grated cheese across the table. It’s old-fashioned and loving and for those two, it’s a testament to decades of married life.
Veramente romantico! (Truly romantic!)
Ti amo più di quanto Botticelli amasse la sua Venere.
Meaning: I love you more than Botticelli loved his Venus.
I heard this in a small restaurant in Rome on a warm summer night. No, I wasn’t on the receiving end of this incredible declaration but it made such a profound impression that I’ve never forgotten it.
I’ve seen the Botticelli exhibit so I understood how much love had gone into the masterpiece. I can’t look at it anymore without being pulled back into that moment in that restaurant.
I hope you hear a similar wonderful declaration of love… and may it be directed at you!
Italians sure do know how to speak of love. It’s such a wonderfully vivid, beautifully romantic language. And there are so many ways to show affection for loved ones that it’s easy to immerse yourself in the romance.
To really make sparks fly between you and an Italian-speaking significant other, try bridging the language gap! The FluentU Italian program shows you authentic clips from Italian movies, songs and shows so you can learn romantic phrases and other common expressions as used by actual native speakers. Each clip includes interactive subtitles and transcripts:
Share the love—and remember, even in a paradise as gorgeous as Italy, it’s not good to be alone!
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
