Te quiero, pero no te amo - Page 2

Hang on there - we have a confusion of meanings that I've often seen on this forum. But I begin to understand what you meant.

OK - I concede. In these particular cases, the preterite would also be correct in English. I must look at the original sentence more closely in future. :duh:

I was thinking that the perfect is also very common in connection with "muchas veces":

Signior Antonio, many a time and oft
In the Rialto you have rated me
About my moneys and my usances :)

Yes, it is. And the Imperfect also.. :p

I wanna say that the differerce is that while it did happen many times over, the action wasn't habitual, therefore, the action eventually, came to an end... and the action had already happened.. I would have used the preterite tense also.. It seems more natural to me........

I was taught that "te quiero" was sexually suggestive, so I always used "te amo," but now I see it with general use.. I try not to use te quiero because when I attempt to translate it, I always miss the meaning...

Existen personas que dicen "amo la danza clásica"
Si dijiese "quiero la danza clásica" sonaría mal.
No es raro encontrar parejas que después de 50 años de matrimonio lleguen a la conclusión de "haberse querido mucho, pero jamás amado", pero han amado a los hijos.

PD.
El AMOR es una cosa complicada, el CARIÑO es más simple.

Now there's a funny thing: I've just read (Márquez)

Would you not expect estaba rather than estuve? Is there a difference in meaning in context? I'm seriously baffled. :thinking:

"Nos vimos dos veces cuando estuve enferma"

This is one of those cases when both the preterite OR the imperfect are used without changing the meaning of the sentence. There's just a slight difference that's not really important.

:)

Yo aprendí que te quiero es una phrasa que se dice a un amigo o compañero. Solo se diría te amo a un amigo muy cerca, a un hermano o papá, o a un novio. Me parece que te quiero es mas como "I like you" or "care about you" y te amo es como "I love with all my heart" etc.





Please correct me. Soy Gringo.:rolleyes:

"Te quiero" es más que "I like you". "Te amo" es más poético. No se suele decir "te amo" con mucha frecuencia en el lenguaje diario hablado. :)

You must be confusing that with "te deseo" (I want you)?

both mean I love you in English.
Querer, you quieres your parents, your pets, siblings, friends , students etc...
Amar, you amas only the person you are in love with.

Mis matices afectivos:
Quiero mucho a mi gata.
Yo amo a mi madre, a mi padre, a mis hermanas, a mis nietos.
Estoy enamorado de mi esposa.

Sometimes I use "amar" with my family and my pets, and some of my friends.

But I also use "querer", depending, I guess, on my frame of mind.

It's actually very difficult to convey the slight difference between both verbs.
:)

Yo quiero a mis compañeros de trabajo. Yo quiero irme de vacaciones.
Yo amo a mis padres.
Yo quiero enamorarme de algún hombre para casarme y tener hijos.

:D

I :love: N.Y. ?