# Are there languages which have different words for love in "I love you" depending on the meaning?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-languages-which-have-different-words-for-love-in-i-love-you-depending-on-the-meaning/698231>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 11, 2014, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-languages-which-have-different-words-for-love-in-i-love-you-depending-on-the-meaning/698231 "2014-09-11T20:14:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![eclectic\_wench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ac91a4/32.png) [@eclectic\_wench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eclectic_wench)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-languages-which-have-different-words-for-love-in-i-love-you-depending-on-the-meaning/698231/22 "2014-09-14T20:00:36Z")

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Italian has ‘Ti voglio bene’ - literally, ‘I wish you well’ - which is the ‘I love you’ for friends and family, and ‘Ti amo’ which is for romantic love.

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**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-languages-which-have-different-words-for-love-in-i-love-you-depending-on-the-meaning/698231/23 "2014-09-14T20:52:15Z")

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> [@Inner\_Stickler](#):
>
> Yeah, apparently the Hispanic Studies department had a number of laughs at the expense of students like me who were never told by their high school spanish teachers that it’s not correct to say “me gusta” in reference to friends unless you meant that you found them sexually attractive. Quite a few red faces that day in class.

But I bet you remember it fine now!

(I avoid trying to pronounce sheet in the presence of native speakers… Oh, and beach)

> [@Mighty\_Girl](#):
>
> I know Danish has an “I am falling in love with you” and an “I love you” one. At least the hubby said so 20 odd years ago when we were dating. 🙂

Hey, we haven’t mentioned that one for Spanish, I think. Fall in love = _enamorarse_. To be in love = _estar enamorado_. To be somebody’s lover (archaic, poetic) = _ser mi/tu/su enamorado_ (the possesive pronoun changes depending on the speaker).

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**Author:** ![Namkcalb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2014, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-languages-which-have-different-words-for-love-in-i-love-you-depending-on-the-meaning/698231/24 "2014-09-14T21:31:09Z")

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> [@Velocity](#):
>
> Mandarin Chinese:
> 
> _“Ai”_ - means ‘love,’ just like English - can be as romantic or non-romantic as you want it to convey.
> 
> \*“Ten” \*- ‘be fond of,’ or ‘cherish,’ a non-romantic word used in the sense of an elder family member such as grandparents, loving a young family member such as grandchildren.

I’ve never heard teng on its own. It’s usually teng ai

He teng ai his daughter.

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