The terms of endearment found in Italian are among the most fascinating and evocative of any language, but there is one in particular that our readers continuously ask us how to say, and that is “my love”.
The truth is that “my love” can be translated in three different ways depending on the situation.
How to say “my love” in Italian = Il mio amore
If you are talking generally about your love for something or someone, rather than addressing someone directly, the correct translation is il mio amore. In Italian, possessive adjectives like mio (my) and tuo (your) usually come after the definite article “the” and before the noun. (To find out more about definite and indefinite articles in Italian, check out our article on the topic.)
For example, you could say:
Il mio amore per te è immenso.
My love for you is immense.
Il mio amore per il calcio non è un segreto.
My love for soccer is no secret.
How to say “my love” in Italian = Amore mio
If you are directly addressing a loved one, on the other hand, the correct form would be the pet name amore mio. As you can see, the definite article has been dropped and the possessive adjective comes after the noun. Many Italians say that the inversion of the two words imbues the expression with a sweeter and more affectionate nuance.
Note that regardless of whether you are saying “my love” to a man or a woman, the expression amore mio always remains masculine. You would never say amore mia just because you are addressing a woman.
Come sei bella oggi, amore mio!
You look so beautiful today, my love!
Some possible synonyms for amore mio can be found below.
- amore (this word is often used on its own as a pet name)
- amore bello (literally “beautiful love”)
- tesoro (literally “treasure”)
How to say “my love” in Italian = L’amore mio
If you are talking about a person you love, but you aren’t actually addressing them directly, it is possible to use the expression l’amore mio. However, this form is very poetic, so it use tends to be limited to poems and songs.
Tu sei l’amore mio.
You are my love.
It can be heard in the Andrea Bocelli song Canto della Terra.
Additional phrases containing “my love” in Italian
Here at Daily Italian Words, we regularly receive translation requests for the following phrases, all of which contain the term of endearment amore mio. I can only assume that we have a very romantic group of followers!
“Good morning, my love!” in Italian
Buongiorno, amore mio!
“Good evening, my love!” in Italian
Buonasera, amore mio!
“I love you, my love!” in Italian
Ti amo, amore mio!
“Hello, my love!” or “Hi, my love!” in Italian
Ciao, amore mio!
“Goodbye, my love!” in Italian
Arrivederci, amore mio!
“Thank you, my love!” in Italian
Grazie, amore mio!
“Happy birthday, my love!” in Italian
Buon compleanno, amore mio!
Tanti auguri, amore mio!
“Yes, my love!” in Italian
Sì, amore mio.
“Sweet dreams, my love!” in Italian
Sogni d’oro, amore mio!
“I miss you, my love!” in Italian
Mi manchi, amore mio!
“Happy anniversary, my love!” in Italian
Buon anniversario, amore mio!
“Merry Christmas, my love!” in Italian
Buon Natale, amore mio!
“Happy Valentine’s Day, my love!” in Italian
Buon San Valentino, amore mio!
Heather Broster is a graduate with honours in linguistics from the University of Western Ontario. She is an aspiring polyglot, proficient in English and Italian, as well as Japanese, Welsh, and French to varying degrees of fluency. Originally from Toronto, Heather has resided in various countries, notably Italy for a period of six years. Her primary focus lies in the fields of language acquisition, education, and bilingual instruction.
