Is your significant other a native Spanish speaker and you would like to show your love by saying “my love” in Spanish?
Or are you a new Spanish learner and would love to master the most common terms of endearment in this language?
Either way, there are lots of nicknames and expressions to achieve this.
In this article, we have compiled the 10 most common ways to say “My love” in Spanish. You will also be able to hear the correct pronunciation for each of them through our audio examples.
1. Mi amor / My love
This is probably the most popular loving expression in Spanish. You will hear it from people from any Spanish-speaking country. It literally translates as “My love” and holds a high level of affection.
You can use this term for a lover or to address your children. It’s not very common to use it among friends.
Example:
- Te quiero tanto, mi amor. / I love you so much, my love.
- Estoy muy orgulloso de ti, mi amor. / I’m very proud of you, my love.
2. Amor / Love, babe, sweetie
“Amor” means love. This expression is a variation from the previous one and a little bit more informal. It has a romantic connotation, so it is most used among couples. It is a quick lovey-dovey way to say “Babe” or “Sweetie”.
Example:
- Amor, ¿me puedes ayudar con los niños? / Love, can you help me out with the children?
- Que tengas buenas noches, amor. / Have a good night, babe.
3. Cariño / Honey, darling
You will hear this expression mostly from people from Spain. It is the equivalent of “Honey” or “Darling” in English. Although you can use it for your significant other, it is also a nice way to call other people you care about, like friends and family.
Examples:
- ¡Qué bien te queda ese vestido, cariño! / That dress looks great on you, honey.
- Cariño, ¿has terminado la tarea? / Darling, have you finished your homework?
4. Corazón / Sweetheart
“Corazón” is another term that doesn’t have a literal correspondent translation in English.
It means “Heart” and in Spanish, it is used as a correlate of “Sweetheart”. Like other expressions on this list, this one has a romantic connotation. Although you can still use it to address other people if they are very close to you.
If you are not sure how to put it into action, see the examples below.
Examples:
- Te espero en casa con una linda cena, corazón. / I’ll be waiting for you at home with a nice dinner, sweetheart.
- No te preocupes corazón, te va a ir bien en el examen. / Don’t worry sweetheart, you’ll do well on the exam.
5. Mi cielo / My darling, my love
There’s no literal translation for this one. “Cielo” in Spanish means “Heaven”. Therefore, “Mi cielo” would translate to “My heaven”. It doesn’t sound like an expression you would use to refer to a loved one in English, right?
However, in Spanish you can apply this term when you want to mean “My darling” or “My love”, for example for your partner or a family member.
Example:
- Eres lo más maravilloso que me pasó en la vida, mi cielo. / You are the most wonderful thing that ever happened to me, my love.
- Ten cuidado al cruzar la calle, mi cielo. / Be careful crossing the street, my darling.
6. Mi vida / My darling, my love
As with “Mi cielo”, “Mi vida” has no direct translation to English. It literally means “My life”. You can use it to call someone “My darling” or “My love”, preferably a partner or a child with whom you are very close.
This expression carries a high level of intimacy, so use it wisely.
Examples:
- ¿Te casarías conmigo, mi vida? / Would you marry me, my love?
- ¡Felicitaciones mi vida por ganar el torneo de ajedrez! / Congratulations my darling for winning the chess tournament!
7. Bebé / Baby
“Bebé” is most used among young people. It means “Baby”, and like in English, it is a cute way to call your boyfriend or girlfriend.
Example:
- Me alegras el día, bebé. / You make my day better, baby.
8. Querida, querido / Dear
This term is the most formal one on the list. It means “Dear” and you can use it for a partner, a friend, or even in a business environment.
For example, it is an affectionate way to greet someone in a letter or an email. Not many young people use this expression, so you will probably hear it more from older people.
Be aware of the grammatical gender for this one. If you are addressing a female, use “Querida”, for a male the correct way is “Querido”.
Examples:
- Querido Juan, fue un placer conocerte el otro día en la reunión. / Dear Juan, it was a pleasure to meet you the other day at the meeting.
- Ten cuidado querida, te puedes lastimar. / Be careful dear, you could hurt yourself.
9. Tesoro / Dear
“Tesoro” is a rare term mostly used in Spain or by older people in other Latin American countries. It is the literal translation of “Treasure”. You can use it if you want to make someone feel like you value and cherish them.
In English, you would probably use “Dear” for this one. But in Spanish, it’s not very romantic. So you better choose another nickname from the list for your significant other.
Example:
- No has terminado tu cena tesoro, ¿te sientes bien? / You haven’t finished your dinner, dear, are you feeling well?
10. Mi rey, Mi reina / My king, my queen
As in English, you will probably use this expression only for a partner. It means “My king” or “My queen”, depending on the gender, and it is a way of expressing adoration for your lover.
Examples:
- Tus deseos son órdenes, mi reina. / Your wish is my command, my queen.
- Eres tan fuerte, mi rey. / You are so strong, my king.
Conclusion
You can use one or more ways above to say “my love” in Spanish to your significant other. He or she may be surprised and will also express their love to you.
