Meu amor / meu bem
MEH-oo ah-MOR / MEH-oo BENG
How to say itPart of: Affection
“My love; my dear.”
Meu amor is “my love”, the pet name Brazilians use for a partner, a child, and often, warmly, a friend or a customer. It is the same to a woman or a man, because amor is a masculine noun whoever it is for. Meu bem (“my good”) is my dear: warm, a little old-fashioned. Shortened, both become amor and bem.
Looking for all the ways to say I love you? I love you in Portuguese: the guide
InformalAll Brazilalso: amor, mozão, meu bemReply: Oi, amor.
How Brazilians use it
“Meu amor, chegou cedo hoje!”
“My love, you’re home early today!”
To a partner.
“Vem cá, meu amor, deixa eu ver esse machucado.”
“Come here, my love, let me see that scrape.”
To a child.
“Oi, meu bem, tudo bom?”
“Hi, my dear, all good?”
Warm, a shopkeeper or an aunt.
“Te amo, meu amor.”
“I love you, my love.”
The whole line.
In a real book
“— Meu amor!”How to reply
- Oi, amor.Hi, love: the reply in kind.
Similar expressions
- Querido / queridaDear, darling: agrees with the person.
- Te amoI love you.
- Lindo / lindaBeautiful, as a pet name: oi, linda.
- VidaLife, as a pet name: minha vida.
Brazil vs Portugal
Both are used in Portugal, where meu amor is more reserved for partners and meu bem is rarer; amor on its own is common in both countries.
Common mistakes
- Don’t change it for a man: it is meu amor to anyone, never minha amor.
- Don’t take it as a declaration from a stranger: a shop assistant’s meu bem is just warmth.
- Don’t say mi amor: Spanish. The Portuguese is meu amor.
Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of meu amor?
My love. Meu is my and amor is love, and together they are the pet name for a partner, a child or anyone you are fond of. It does not change for a man or a woman.
Is meu amor flirty?
From a partner it is love; from a friend, an aunt or a shop assistant it is warmth, as common as “dear” in parts of England. Context, not the word, decides.
What does meu bem mean?
“My dear”, literally “my good”. Warm and a little old-fashioned, used for partners, children and, by older people, for almost anyone they like.
How do you pronounce meu amor?
MEH-oo ah-MOR: meu as two quick sounds, and the stress on mor, with a soft r.