meaning - How to use "I love you"?


In Italy, you have two options to say "I love you", I'll try to translate them the best I can:



  • I love you (Ti amo.)

  • I want you to be ok (Ti voglio bene.)



The fact is that in English, both ti amo and ti voglio bene are translated as I love you. But in Italian, there are lot of differences:




  • I love you is used to express love for another person which is, or you want her/him to be, your girlfriend/boyfriend.




  • I want you to be ok is used to express still something love-related but just a little bit less love-related (It's hard to say it). I want you to be OK is used by parents to their sons/daughters or vice versa or by a friend to another friend.




I do watch some TV shows in English and I find that sometimes two friends tell each other I love you and they just go back to their jobs (= I want you to be ok) and sometimes one of them says I love you and the other understands that he/she wants her/him to be his/her girlfriend/boyfriend and that it's love-related (= I love you). Why?



Answer



In English there are two expressions that partly overlap:



I love you



and



I'm in love with you



The second one means romantic love, while the first one can be used for any kind of affection, including romantic.


The first is usually used for both, the second is mostly used when you want to clarify what kind of love you are talking about. Often that is not necessary as it's evident from the situation.


So, it's correct that I love you can be used for both Italian expressions. The expression I'm in love with you translates into Ti amo.


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