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Mi esposa y yo fuimos a una librería de descuento. Compramos algunos libros de español para niños. Un libro se titula "Te quiero, papá." Que, por supuesto, se traduce en "I Love You, Daddy."
I learned Querer as "to want" but obviously, it can also carry the meaning "to love." I learned Amar as "to love." When would one choose one verb over the other? Is it geographical?
Mark
At least in Mexico, amar is a stronger word than querer. You only use "amar" for sons, daughters, wife, girl/boyfriend, etc.
Watch out! As a man, never use "amar" to describe what you feel about other man; maybe "querer" but only in an indirect way. "Macho" matters :confused:
The expression " te quiero " had originaly more a sense of" I want you ,I desire you "and by extension a sense of possession .The real I love you should be " te amo ".But the fact is that the first one has become a widespread manner of speach to say I love you,and the second one might nowadays be considered exessively high-sounding .
Strangely enough , if you are not homosexual ,you should use the word “amar “when you refer to a friend of the same *** ,since the love for a friend is not tainted by desire or lust. On the contrary “querer “implies desire, a longing to possess . At the risk of sounding bombastic I shall say that friendship is the purest love of all .
I should have said gender in order to avoid the stars, shame on me.
NOt in Spain. Mind you, if you said that in public to a son/daughter, you might get accused of se* offence.Quote:
Originally Posted by Julio Jaubert
Sergi, where did it have that meaning? Te quiero means and has always meant in Spain : I love you.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sergi
The "real" I love you?? Strange way to post that.
Well, dear Marcus, I strongly advice you against this recommendation. If you said to a man in public or in private "te amo", no doubt he will think you are proposing "that".Quote:
Originally Posted by Sergi
I really have no clue what sergi is talking about.
Wow! This thread got interesting fast. Clearly there is some geographical influences. My Spanish teacher (from Spain) taught to use amar only for spouses, lovers, etc. but when I travel in Mexico I find it is used often for other family members (especially parents and children).
The use of querer for to love dates back so far in Spanish linguistic history that placing parameters on it such as desire have little or no meaning for the word today. I do. however, like sergi's sentiment on friendship.
A also agree with Julio, macho definitely matters in Mexico. I traveled in Mexido off and on for almost a year before someone explained that I should use "me cae bien" and not "me gusta" for people (uless you want to infer a sexual desire for the person). Needless to say I was embarrased. No one laughed at me (I guess because they understood Spanish was my second language) but I remember being infuriated at my wife (a Mexican national) who should have corrected me long before that.
In any case Marcuslee accept querer as meaning both I want and I love and listen to Spanish speaking natives for clues on how they use context to get the correct message across.
Joel
Apparently it's a latinamerican thing, Julio.
In Argentina we also use "te amo" for sons and daughters.
However, there is a social marker - upper class people will never use "te amo" for people other than spouses / girlfriend or boyfriend, just like it happens in Spain.
They use "te quiero mucho" instead.
It's like "malla - Traje de baño" - or "rojo / colorado" (the latter being more "accepted" within upper classes).
Hi me again .Just as a matter of clarification ,it is right that nowadays the verb amar is reserved to family .But if you read the new testament in Spanish you will find that amar is used for to love and not querer . A language evolutes towards precision or at least it used to do . For example for red you have the word encarnado being carne meat
Encarnado has the sense of ” meat- red “. To want is querer "quiero un helado" "quiero ir de vacaciones " ”quiero una camisa azul “ but OK it has happened the same way than the verb “coger “which is to take means something very different in Argentina ,I guess the variation comes from a time when “Cuando querian una mujer la cogian “
I think I will have to agree with mvictoria. The verbs "amar" and "querer" have their meanings depending on the country you live in or you're from. It's a Latin American thing.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sergi
My father(I am from Honduras, by the way) frequently says "Yo no tengo hijos consentidos. A todos mis siete hijos los quiero igual." This means, he doesn't necessarily have to use "Amar" in this case. And all of us understand and accept the context willingly.
I would say(without disregarding anyone else's opinion at all) that in my turf the verb "Amar" has a more formal connotation. And the Spanish speaker who uses it, intends to give a deeper and/or a more intense feeling to his/her love for the other person concerning sincerity and/or purity coming out of the speaker's heart. Am I making sense? -Among couples(particulary boyfriends/girlfriends), it is absolutely common to use "Querer" instead of "Amar". It doesn't mean they don't use "Amar". They use it when the intensity of their feelings involves something else other than passion or a carnal desire, to such an extent that the latter is many times put aside due to the fact that the true feeling leads the spouse/partner to experience not just love but a very deep and special caring for the other person.
As a native Spanish speaker, I wouldn't expect to find the verb "Querer" in a book like The Bible. In fact, in the version I own, I don't see it. And again, except for a very specific purpose, I wouldn't back up a translator who uses it.
As for "Coger".. huh, huh.. not a good thing in Central America in terms of someone trying keep himself from the use of profane language(I'll refrain myself from making further remarks on this verb at this time).
Overall, this is just my viewpoint. I do respect others' comments. And, frankly, these two verbs( "Amar" and "Querer") have become sometimes a controversial matter concerning their application. Even poets and singers have made an interesting subject out of them. I do remember a Mexican singer whose songs I used to sing every time I took a shower, who said in one of his arrangements "Casi todos sabemos querer....pero pocos sabemos amar...pues el amar y el querer no es igual...amar es sufrir...querer es..." -Well.. you reader keep going.
Regards,
seeker50.
Sorry I haven't been able to get online for a little while. I get on and the conversation has just exploded. Great!
Since I live in the US, common Mexican Spanish is probably the pattern I will want to follow. I have some hispanic workmates. I assume they are from Mexico since most Texas hispanics are Mexican in origin. I will ask them what they use. It is interesting that even in the US, the language gets watered down even further than it did from Spain to Latin America. We even call it TexMex or Spanglish. A language is influenced by the other languages in the area. There are tons of examples, and the study of this evolution has always intrigued me.
Mark
I think, at least in my experience, "te quiero" and "te amo" have the same meaning but "te quiero" is for an everyday live. Te amo is used in movies, songs, book's love, or exceptional events like when you declare your love of a woman or man for the first time or propose marriage or… That's why "te amo" for many people have a deeper meaning. It's like less common.Quote:
Originally Posted by marcuslee
And don't confuse "te quiero" or "te amo" with "te deseo" the later definitively has a sexual meaning. Although the line that divide them is very thin in some occasions. Also if you just take out Amar from any context then you can speculate in different fields like religion, philosophy, marketing, etc.
That’s just my opinion.
Best Regards
David
In Peru the word "querer" is used for friends, pets, relatives in general. Also for couples, however "Amar" is a stronger verb and it is pretty much used exclusively for love between couples.
I agree with "speculumcm", "te quiero" o "te amo" don't have any sexual meaning, for that matter you use "te deseo". However, I think you can use "te quiero" if you want to get laid :)