Love and the Spanish Language: Is Spanish a Romantic Language?

By Andrea Ordaz

This article is also available in Spanish

BlogCultureLanguageLearning Tips
Love is a universal feeling expressed in different ways according to each person’s culture and language. Some languages are renowned for being more romantic than others, whether due to their sonority, lexical richness, or literary history. Where does Spanish stand among the languages of love? Is Spanish a romantic language?

Spanish and Other Romance Languages:

Spanish is one of the Romance languages, meaning it originates from Latin, the language of the ancient Roman Empire. Other Romance languages include French, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, and Catalan, among many others. These languages share many words, grammar, and structure, making them more closely related to each other than to other language families.
          Some of these Romance languages have a reputation for being particularly romantic, such as French or Italian. French is considered the language of love for its elegance, refinement, and musicality. Italian, on the other hand, is associated with passion, emotion, and beauty. These languages have been the vehicle for great works of love literature, like Victor Hugo’s novels or Molière’s comedies in French, or Petrarch’s sonnets or Verdi’s operas in Italian.
          However, Spanish has nothing to envy these languages when it comes to romanticism. Spanish is also a melodic, expressive, and poetic language that has given rise to masterpieces of love literature, such as Cervantes’ Don Quixote, Bécquer’s Rimas, or Lorca’s Romancero Gitano. Spanish also boasts a wide variety of accents, dialects, and registers, providing it with a unique richness and diversity.

Spanish vs. English: Which Language is More Romantic?

English, a Germanic language with a different origin than Spanish and other Romance languages, has been influenced by French due to the Norman invasion of England in the 11th century. It also incorporates words from Anglo-Saxon, Scandinavian, Greek, and Latin origins. English is a highly flexible language, easily adapting to changes and innovations, with a great capacity for creating new terms and expressions.
          English also has a rich literary tradition, producing immortal works of love like those of Shakespeare, Jane Austen, or Emily Dickinson. It offers a wide variety of ways to express love, from the formal “I love you” to the colloquial “I fancy you”, the affectionate “I adore you”, or the intense “I’m crazy about you”.
          However, English has some limitations when it comes to expressing love that Spanish does not. For instance, English has only one pronoun for the second person singular, “you”, used for both formal and informal address, while Spanish has two, “tú” and “usted”, marking the difference between familiarity and respect. Spanish also has two verbs for expressing love, “amar” and “querer”, each with distinct nuances, whereas English has only one, “love”, used for both romantic and familial love.

Expressing Love in Spanish:

Spanish is an expressive language that has a great richness of vocabulary and verb forms to express romantic feelings. For example, estar loco por alguien (to be crazy about someone), tener mariposas en el estómago (to have butterflies in the stomach), ser mi alma gemela (to be my soulmate), ser mi media naranja (to be my better half), etc. Here are 3 ways to express “I love you” in Spanish:

  • Te amo: The strongest and deepest way to express love in Spanish, reserved for romantic love in stable and enduring relationships or when declaring love for the first time. Example: Te amo con todo mi corazón (I love you with all my heart).
  • Te quiero: The most common and versatile way to express love in Spanish. Used for romantic love in dating or established relationships, or to show affection and fondness. Also used for family love, among siblings, cousins, uncles, etc. It is also used for love between friends when the friendship is close and sincere. Example: Te quiero mucho, eres mi mejor amigo (I love you a lot, you’re my best friend).
  • Me gustas: The softest and most subtle way to express love in Spanish. Used for romantic love when feeling attraction or interest in someone without an established relationship, or when taking the first step to initiate a relationship. Also used for platonic love when admiring or desiring someone who may not be accessible or may not reciprocate. Example: Me gustas mucho, ¿quieres salir conmigo? (I like you a lot, would you like to go out with me?).

Spanish and Learning: How to Fall in Love with Spanish:

Learning Spanish is an exciting adventure that requires dedication, effort, and motivation. Learning Spanish is like falling in love with a person – you need to get to know it, understand it, respect it, and enjoy it. Here are some tips to learn to love Spanish:

  • Dedicate Time: Spanish requires practice and consistency. Devote at least an hour a day to studying Spanish, whether through a book, an app, a course, or a teacher. Review what you’ve learned, do exercises, read texts, listen to audios, etc.
  • Think in Spanish: Spanish requires thought and creativity. Think in Spanish as much as you can, whether aloud or in your mind. Talk to yourself, share your plans, dreams, opinions, etc., in Spanish. Write in Spanish, whether in a diary, an email, a message, etc.
  • Adapt Your Routines: Spanish requires context and reality. Adapt your daily routines to include Spanish in your life, whether by listening to podcasts, music, movies, etc. Look for topics that interest you, entertain you, inform you, etc.
  • Love Spanish: Spanish requires love and passion. Love Spanish as you would love a partner, with its virtues and flaws, joys and challenges, surprises and hurdles. Enjoy Spanish, laugh with Spanish, dream with Spanish, live with Spanish.

Conclusion

Spanish is a romantic language that expresses love in many ways and has a rich history and culture. Learning Spanish requires dedication, thought, adaptation, and love. Spanish can be loved like a person, with time, communication, reality, and passion. Spanish can make you happy, open doors for you, and help you grow. Are you ready to learn Spanish? Are you ready to love Spanish?

You might also like