El amor

Love is something we express in every language, and Spanish is a particularly romantic language (after all, it's a Romance language, i.e. it's derived from Latin). There are so many words to express love, but you need to know which ones are appropriate when. It's important to avoid misunderstandings! There are several ways to express love in Spanish, just as there are in English.

1. "Te quiero": This can be literally translated to "I want you," but it does not have the sexual meaning that this phrase would have in English. A more accurate translation would be "I love you," and it's the most commonly used phrase to express this emotion. You can apply it to a lover, a family member, or a close friend. When you use the word "querer" in reference to an object, then the meaning changes from love to want. "I want a glass of water"/"Quiero un vaso con agua."
2. "Te amo": This also means "I love you,"  but it's used more with a lover or a spouse. "Te amo" generally refers to romantic love, and it's used less frequently than "te quiero." In many Spanish-speaking societies, this term is considered more literary or even overly dramatic, and many people would generally avoid it and stick with "te quiero," or "te quiero mucho," although some still use it.
3. "Me gusta"/"Me gustas": This means "I like her/him" or "I like you," but it has a romantic or sexual connotation, so you would generally want to avoid it unless that's what you mean. It's what a teenage boy might say about a girl he has his eye on.
4. "Me cae bien"/"Me caes bien": "I like him/her," or "I like you,"  but in a non-romantic way. For instance, your friend introduces you to another friend, and you say, "I like her--she seems nice"/"Me cae bien--parece simpática." You can express the opposite emotion with "Me cae mal"/ "I don't like him/her."
5. "Me encanta": This doesn't actually express love. It expresses a strong liking for something non-human, for instance chocolate. In English we say "I love chocolate," but we don't really mean that we have romantic feelings for it, or that we love it as we do our mother. In Spanish, we would never use the same word to express love for our mom as we would for our love of a candy bar.
6. "Me fascina": This is another expression of strong liking, or of fascination or great interest. It's not generally an expression of love, and it's rarely used to refer to people. However, when used about a person, it's an expression of passion, so be careful how you use it!
7. "Desear": This means to want, and it's used in different ways. Many times a host will use the verb "desear" instead of "querer" because it's seen as more polite: "¿Desea una bebida?"/"Would you like a drink?" However, when it's used to refer to people, it's unambiguous--it refers to sexual desire. "Te deseo" means exactly the same as "I want you" in English.

There are several other expression of love in Spanish,  some more literary, some obscure or more vulgar, some are more slang or colloquial. However, the above are the most commonly used phrases, and they are generally used throughout the Spanish-speaking world in the way I've described above.
It's a good idea to review the verb "gustar" and its uses, as well as verbs that are conjugated similarly to "gustar," since many English speakers have trouble with this. Take a look at this previous blog entry to help you  review: http://ferrumspanish.weebly.com/1/category/gustar/1.html.

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