Amare means “to love.” It is a regular -ARE verb, but it carries a strong, serious meaning, so knowing when Italians use ti amo and when they say ti voglio bene matters more than its endings.
Infinitive
amare
English
to love
Auxiliary
avere
Past participle
amato
Gerund
amando
Regular -ARE verb, conjugated exactly like parlare on the stem am-. Present: amo, ami, ama, amiamo, amate, amano. The stress falls on the a of the stem in the singular and in amano (A-mo, A-ma-no). Future amerò, conditional amerei, imperfect amavo, passato remoto amai, amò. The present participle amante is also a noun: un amante dell'arte, “an art lover,” or a lover in a relationship. There are no irregular forms.
Amare is the verb of deep love: between partners (ti amo), in literature and songs, and in religion (ama il prossimo tuo). With things and activities it means loving them passionately: amo il mare, ama viaggiare, amava la musica classica. For everyday liking, Italians use piacere (mi piace il caffè), and for affection between friends and family they use voler bene (ti voglio bene, mamma). Saying ti amo to a friend or a parent sounds odd to most Italians. The reciprocal amarsi means “to love each other”: si amano da vent'anni.
Amare takes avere: ho amato, aveva amato. A preceding direct object pronoun makes the participle agree: l'ho amata tanto, “I loved her so much.” Amarsi takes essere: si sono amati per tutta la vita.
Amare in context
Presente:Ti amo più di ogni altra cosa al mondo. (I love you more than anything else in the world.)
Presente:Mio padre ama cucinare la domenica. (My father loves cooking on Sundays.)
Passato Prossimo:Ha amato quella città fin dal primo giorno. (She loved that city from the very first day.)
Imperfetto:Da ragazzo amavo i romanzi di avventura. (As a boy I loved adventure novels.)
Futuro Semplice:Ti amerò per sempre. (I'll love you forever.)
Condizionale Presente:Amerei vivere vicino al mare. (I'd love to live near the sea.)
Passato Remoto:Dante amò Beatrice per tutta la vita. (Dante loved Beatrice all his life.)
Common expressions with amare
ti amo: I love you (romantic). Reserved for partners. For family and friends, say ti voglio bene.
amare alla follia: to love madly
amore a prima vista: love at first sight
chi mi ama mi segua: those who love me, follow me. A playful phrase for calling people to join you.
Common mistakes
Mi piace molto la pizza margherita., not Amo la pizza margherita, è buona. (I really like margherita pizza.). Amare is possible with food, but it sounds emphatic. For normal liking, piacere is the natural choice. Adoro is a common middle ground.
Ti voglio bene, mamma., not Ti amo, mamma. (I love you, Mum.). Ti amo is romantic. Italians express love for parents, children and friends with voler bene.
What is the difference between ti amo and ti voglio bene?
Ti amo is romantic love, said to a partner. Ti voglio bene is love and affection for family and friends, and partners say it too. When in doubt with someone who is not your partner, ti voglio bene is the safe choice.
Does amare take essere or avere?
Avere: ho amato, avevamo amato. Only the reciprocal amarsi uses essere: ci siamo amati, si erano amati.
Is amare a regular verb?
Yes. Every tense of amare follows the standard -ARE endings: amo, amavo, amai, amerò, amerei, che io ami, amato. It is a good verb for practising the full first-conjugation table.
Can you use amare for things you like?
Yes, but it is strong. Amo il jazz or amo viaggiare express a passion. For ordinary preferences, use piacere: mi piace il jazz. Adorare sits in between and is common in speech.