How to Say "I Love You" in Italian

Co-authored by Language Academia and Nihal Shetty

Last Updated: July 13, 2024 References

What’s more special that looking someone in the eyes and telling them that you love them? Doing it in Italian, of course! If you’re wondering how to express your love—either for a romantic partner or in a platonic relationship—we’ve got you covered. We’ve put together this comprehensive guide on how to say “I love you” in Italian, along with other romantic phrases and pet names you can use to show your affection.

Section 1 of 4:

How to Say “I Love You” in Italian

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“Ti amo” (tee AH-mo). Use this phrase to express deep love for a romantic partner. This is the direct translation of “I love you” into Italian, and indicates that you’ve taken your relationship to the next level.^{[1]
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- To make this expression stronger, say “ti amo così tanto” (tee AH-mo coh-SEE TAHN-to), or, “I love you so much.”
- To sound even more romantic, you can even say, “Ti amo con tutto il cuore” (tee AH-mo con TOO-to eel KWO-reh), or, “I love you with all my heart.”
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“Ti voglio bene” (tee VOL-yo BEN-eh). This phrase signifies a deep relationship, although not necessarily a romantic one. Although this expression directly translates to “I want good things for you,” it’s also how you would say “I love you” to a friend or family member.^{[2]
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- Make this expression even stronger by saying, “Ti voglio un mondo di bene” (tee VOL-yo oon MON-do dee BEN-eh), which could be translated into English as, “I want a world of good things for you.”
- Keep in mind that some long-term spouses will also use “Ti voglio bene” with each other—this expression doesn’t always mean that a relationship isn’t romantic.
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“Sono innamorato di te” (SO-no een-ah-mo-RA-to dee teh). This sentence directly translates to “I’m in love with you.” Like in English, saying you’re in love with someone is a strong declaration of your feelings, so use it carefully.^{[3]
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- Italian is a language that uses grammatical gender. If you’re a woman, say “sono innamorata di te” (SO-no een-ah-mo-RA-ta dee teh), instead of “inamorato.”

Section 2 of 4:

Romantic Phrases in Italian

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Italian is full of sweet phrases to show your affection. If you’re looking to impress your significant other with a romantic Italian phrase, try out one of these popular Italian expressions:^{[4]
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- “Significhi molto per me.” (see-nee-FEE-key MOL-to per me): “You mean a lot to me.”
- “Ti penso sempre.” (tee PEN-so SEM-pray): “I think about you always.”
- “Ti amerò sempre.” (tee am-er-OH SEM-pray): “I will always love you.”
- “Sei la mia vita.” (say la MEE-ah VEE-ta): “You’re my life.”
- “Sei la luce dei miei occhi." (say la LOO-che day MEE-ay yoh-KEY): “You’re the light of my eyes.”
- “Sei la mia anima gemella” (say la MEE-ah ah-NEE-ma ge-MELL-ah): “You’re my soulmate.”
- “Non posso vivere senza di te.” (non POSS-oh VEE-ve-re sen-tsa dee teh): “I can’t live without you.”
- “Voglio passare il resto della mi vita con te.” (VOL-yo pass-AH-rey eel RES-to DELL-ah me VEE-ta con teh): “I want to spend to rest of my life with you.”
- “Ti do il mio cuore.” (tee do eel MEE-oh KWO-reh): “I give you my heart.”

Section 3 of 4:

Italian Pet Names for a Romantic Partner

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Italian also has plenty of terms of endearment. You can always be creative with what you want to call your romantic partner—the important thing is that both of you like the name you come up with. But if you want a classic option in Italian, try one of these:^{[5]
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- “Caro mio” (CAR-oh mee-oh): “My dear” (referring to a man)
- “Cara mia” (CAR-ah mee-ah): “My dear” (referring to a woman)
- “Amore mio” (am-OH-rey mee-oh): “My love”
- “Vita mia” (VEE-ta mee-ah): “My life”
- “Tesoro” (tez-OH-ro): “Treasure” or “Darling”
- “Bello” (BELL-oh): “Handsome” (referring to a man)
- “Bella” (BELL-ah): “Pretty” (referring to a woman)

Section 4 of 4:

Affectionate Platonic Phrases

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Try out these non-romantic pet names and sweet phrases. If you’re looking to show your affection to someone in a platonic way, try out one of these phrases or terms of endearment:^{[6]
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- “Sei migliore.” (say meel-YOR-eh): “You’re the best.”
- “Sei un angelo.” (say oon an-JEL-oh): “You’re an angel.” (especially used to show gratitude)
- “Piccolo” (pee-KOL-oh): “Little one” (referring to a male child)
- “Piccola” (pee-KOL-ah): “Little one” (referring to a female child)
- “Cucciolo” (KOO-cho-lo): “Puppy” (referring to a male child)
- “Cucciola” (KOO-cho-la): “Puppy” (referring to a female child)