Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity to spend a nice day with your friends and partner (that is if you’re not single!), but also to practice your Spanish in a real situation. So with that in mind, in this article, I’ll teach you how to say Happy Valentine’s Day in Spanish.
I’ve also included phrases and vocabulary that you can use during this holiday. Additionally, I’ll explain to you some nuances that these words may have and what’s the best moment to use them. So let’s start!
What is Valentine’s day called in Spanish?
In Spanish, Valentine’s day is called ‘Día de San Valentín’, which is basically a direct translation. However, people in Mexico and some Latin American countries refer to this holiday as ‘Día del Amor y la Amistad’, which means ‘day of love and friendship’.
How to say “Happy Valentine’s Day” in Spanish?
Some of the most popular and standard phrases people use to wish others a Happy Valentine’s day in Spanish are:
- ¡Feliz Día del Amor y la Amistad!
- ¡Feliz Día de San Valentín!
- ¡Feliz Día de la Amistad!
- ¡Te deseo un feliz San Valentín!
- ¡Ten un bonito Día de San Valentín!
The first three phrases translate as ‘Happy Valentine’s Day’, however, some people use the short term ‘Día de la Amistad’ or ‘Friendship day’ specifically with their friends:
- ‘¡Te deseo un feliz San Valentín!’ – ‘I wish you a happy Valentine’s Day’
- ‘¡Ten un bonito Día de San Valentín!’ – ‘Have a beautiful Valentine’s day’.
You can use the names ‘Día del Amor y la Amistad’ and ‘Día de San Valentín’ interchangeably and the meaning of the phrases won’t change much, but consider that ‘Día de San Valentín’ is mostly used in Spain, while ‘Día del Amor y la Amistad’ is more common in American Spanish-speaking countries.
Feliz Día de San Valentín, mi amor.
Happy Valentine’s Day, babe.
¡Te extrañé! Feliz Día de la Amistad atrasado.
I missed you! Happy belated Valentine’s Day.
¡Feliz Día del Amor y la Amistad! Te compré un regalo.
Happy Valentine’s Day! I bought you a gift.
Take Note: There are plenty of ways to say my love in Spanish. I bet you can find a word that you and your partner like!
Valentine’s Day Quotes in Spanish
Just as in English, there are some common Valentine’s Day quotes we use in Spanish to wish the best to your friends, family and partners. In some cases, these phrases are very romantic. Others have the purpose to show your affection and esteem for your loved ones.
Here are some common Valentine’s Day quotes in Spanish that you can to personalize your messages:
- Feliz Día de San Valentín – Happy Valentine’s Day.
- Eres un gran amigo – You’re such a good friend
- Aprecio/valoro mucho nuestra amistad – I appreciate our friendship very much
- Soy muy afortunado de tenerte en mi vida – I’m very lucky to have you in my life
- Te quiero y te estimo mucho – I love and appreciate you very much
- ¡Puedes contar conmigo siempre! – You can always count on me
- Te amo de aquí a la luna – I love you to the moon.
- Te amo con toda mi alma – I love you with all my heart.
- ¡Gracias por otro maravilloso San Valentín! – Thank you for another wonderful Valentine’s Day.
- Siempre voy a estar para ti – I’ll always be there for you.
- Eres muy especial para mí – You’re very special to me.
- Te quiero mucho, nunca cambies – I love you, never change.
As you may have noticed, when expressing your affection, we can use the verb ‘to love’ which becomes ‘te amo’ and ‘te quiero’ in Spanish. Don’t confuse these words! They may seem the same, but the intention and degree of affection are different.
Vocabulary for Valentine’s Day
In this section, you’ll find common Spanish vocabulary that you’ll use or hear during Valentine’s day. Hopefully, this would help you improve your conversations regarding this topic.
Common nouns to use on Valentine’s Day
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Abrazo | Hug |
| Admirador | Admirer |
| Amigo | Friend |
| Amistad | Friendship |
| Amor | Love |
| Amor a primera vista | Love at first sight |
| Aniversario | Anniversary |
| Arreglo floral | Flower arrangement |
| Beso | Kiss |
| Carta | Letter |
| Cena | Dinner |
| Chocolates | Chocolates |
| Cita | Date |
| Cinta/Lazo | Ribbon |
| Corazón | Heart |
| Cupido | Cupid |
| Día de San Valentín | Valentine’s Day |
| Día del Amor y la Amistad | Valentine’s Day |
| Dulces | Candies |
| Feliz | Happy |
| Flecha | Arrow |
| Flechazo | Love at first sight |
| Flores | Flowers |
| Globo | Balloon |
| Mejor amigo | Best friend |
| Novia | Girlfriend |
| Novio | Boyfriend |
| Esposa | Wife |
| Esposo | Husband |
| Pareja | Couple/Partner |
| Poema | Poem |
| Prometida | Fiancée |
| Prometido | Fiancé |
| Ramo | Bouquet |
| Regalo | Present/Gift |
| Romance | Romance |
| Rosa | Rose |
| Tarjeta | Card |
| Sentimientos | Feelings |
| Serenata | Serenade |
Le escribí un poema a mi novia.
I wrote a poem for my girlfriend.
Todos mis amigos me regalaron una tarjeta y chocolates.
All my friends gave me a card and chocolates.
Vocabulary: Important Verbs to Use on Valentine’s Day
In the following list, you will find some common verbs that you can use to talk about your plans or to simply say “Happy Valentine’s Day” in a warmer way.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Amar | To love |
| Apreciar | To appreciate/To esteem |
| Caer bien | To like |
| Celebrar/Festejar | To celebrate |
| Coquetear/Flirtear | To flirt |
| Enamorarse | To fall in love |
| Encariñarse | To grow fond/To get attached to |
| Enviar/Mandar | To send |
| Formalizar | To go steady/To formalize |
| Gustar | To like |
| Querer | To love |
| Regalar | To give |
| Salir | To date/To go out |
Voy a regalarle flores a la muchacha que me gusta.
I’m going to give flowers to the girl I like.
Les mandé una tarjeta a las personas que me caen bien.
I sent a card to the people that I like.
Just like ‘to love’, to like has two translations. This means that you have to choose between two verbs when trying to say ‘I like you’ in Spanish. We use ‘gustar’ to express a romantic interest in someone, while ‘caer bien’ is meant for friends and people you find agreeable.
Vocabulary to describe your partner or date
If you want to learn some words to pamper your partner, here are some Spanish adjectives that you can use to talk about her or him. You can also use some of these words to describe your date or a place.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Bonita | Pretty |
| Dulce | Sweet |
| Enamorado | In love |
| Guapa | Pretty |
| Guapo | Handsome |
| Hermosa | Beautiful |
| Linda | Cute/Sweet |
| Mágica | Magical |
| Romántico | Romantic |
| Secreto | Secret |
Rebeca y Edgar se ven muy enamorados.
Rebeca and Edgar seem so in love with each other.
Mi novio se veía muy guapo ayer.
My boyfriend looked very handsome last night.
Take Note: There are plenty of Spanish adjectives to describe a person. Some of them you can use to call your girl beautiful.
Wrapping Up
Valentine’s Day is a perfect opportunity for you to improve and practice your Spanish. That’s why in this article we discussed some useful phrases that you can use during this day. Furthermore, we learned new vocabulary that you may need in your conversations. Hopefully, now you feel more confident about celebrating your Valentine’s Day in Spanish.
Related Questions
How to ask someone out in Spanish? ‘¿Quieres salir conmigo?’ or ‘¿Te gustaría salir conmigo?’ are common phrases to ask someone out in Spanish. You can also use this structure:
¿[‘Querer’ conjugated] + ir + a + verb (infinitive form)?
¿Quieres ir a cenar el sábado en la noche?
Do you want to have dinner on Saturday night?