Ti amo...Italian Phrases for Love

 

Even when describing a tragedy like the one of Francesca da Rimini and Paolo Malatesta punished together in hell for their adultery, ‘la bella lingua’ in the hands of poet Dante Alighieri is simply beautiful!

So what about the language common people use today to express love and romance?

The first interesting point is that Italians distinguish clearly between romantic passionate love and love for friends and families. Amore is a word exclusively dedicated to your lover and Ti Amo leaves no space for doubts or questions about one’s feelings. In a country where love and passion usually go hand in hand, the possessive Amore MIO (my love) is very common.
Ti voglio bene (which we could translate with “I am fond of you”) is the appropriate expression to use with children, parents, friends and pets. But it is not unusual for lovers to say both as a way to express passion and care for each other. 

Besides Amore, the most common expression to say Honey are:

Caro/Cara
Tesoro or Tesoro mio
Gioia or Gioia mia
Vita mia
Cuoricino

You can also say:

Sei l’amore della mia vita
Io non vivo senza te
Ti amo con tutta me stessa/tutto me stesso
Ti amo con tutto il cuore

….and if your date is successful: Italians make love WITH YOU not to you :

Vorrei fare l’amore CON te

Dante's Inferno Canto V-