Thread: Querer frente a Amar

Originally Posted by Sergi

Hi me again .Just as a matter of clarification ,it is right that nowadays the verb amar is reserved to family .But if you read the new testament in Spanish you will find that amar is used for to love and not querer . A language evolutes towards precision or at least it used to do . For example for red you have the word encarnado being carne meat
Encarnado has the sense of ” meat- red “. To want is querer "quiero un helado" "quiero ir de vacaciones " ”quiero una camisa azul “ but OK it has happened the same way than the verb “coger “which is to take means something very different in Argentina ,I guess the variation comes from a time when “Cuando querian una mujer la cogian “

I think I will have to agree with mvictoria. The verbs "amar" and "querer" have their meanings depending on the country you live in or you're from. It's a Latin American thing.
My father(I am from Honduras, by the way) frequently says "Yo no tengo hijos consentidos. A todos mis siete hijos los quiero igual." This means, he doesn't necessarily have to use "Amar" in this case. And all of us understand and accept the context willingly.
I would say(without disregarding anyone else's opinion at all) that in my turf the verb "Amar" has a more formal connotation. And the Spanish speaker who uses it, intends to give a deeper and/or a more intense feeling to his/her love for the other person concerning sincerity and/or purity coming out of the speaker's heart. Am I making sense? -Among couples(particulary boyfriends/girlfriends), it is absolutely common to use "Querer" instead of "Amar". It doesn't mean they don't use "Amar". They use it when the intensity of their feelings involves something else other than passion or a carnal desire, to such an extent that the latter is many times put aside due to the fact that the true feeling leads the spouse/partner to experience not just love but a very deep and special caring for the other person.
As a native Spanish speaker, I wouldn't expect to find the verb "Querer" in a book like The Bible. In fact, in the version I own, I don't see it. And again, except for a very specific purpose, I wouldn't back up a translator who uses it.
As for "Coger".. huh, huh.. not a good thing in Central America in terms of someone trying keep himself from the use of profane language(I'll refrain myself from making further remarks on this verb at this time).
Overall, this is just my viewpoint. I do respect others' comments. And, frankly, these two verbs( "Amar" and "Querer") have become sometimes a controversial matter concerning their application. Even poets and singers have made an interesting subject out of them. I do remember a Mexican singer whose songs I used to sing every time I took a shower, who said in one of his arrangements "Casi todos sabemos querer....pero pocos sabemos amar...pues el amar y el querer no es igual...amar es sufrir...querer es..." -Well.. you reader keep going.

Regards,
seeker50.

Originally Posted by marcuslee

Sorry I haven't been able to get online for a little while. I get on and the conversation has just exploded. Great!

Since I live in the US, common Mexican Spanish is probably the pattern I will want to follow. I have some hispanic workmates. I assume they are from Mexico since most Texas hispanics are Mexican in origin. I will ask them what they use. It is interesting that even in the US, the language gets watered down even further than it did from Spain to Latin America. We even call it TexMex or Spanglish. A language is influenced by the other languages in the area. There are tons of examples, and the study of this evolution has always intrigued me.

I think, at least in my experience, "te quiero" and "te amo" have the same meaning but "te quiero" is for an everyday live. Te amo is used in movies, songs, book's love, or exceptional events like when you declare your love of a woman or man for the first time or propose marriage or… That's why "te amo" for many people have a deeper meaning. It's like less common.

And don't confuse "te quiero" or "te amo" with "te deseo" the later definitively has a sexual meaning. Although the line that divide them is very thin in some occasions. Also if you just take out Amar from any context then you can speculate in different fields like religion, philosophy, marketing, etc.
That’s just my opinion.
Best Regards
David

In Peru the word "querer" is used for friends, pets, relatives in general. Also for couples, however "Amar" is a stronger verb and it is pretty much used exclusively for love between couples.
I agree with "speculumcm", "te quiero" o "te amo" don't have any sexual meaning, for that matter you use "te deseo". However, I think you can use "te quiero" if you want to get laid