🌹 Valentine's Day - Día de San Valentín

Aa ⏱ ≈ 16 minutes

Beginner Spanish · Valentine’s Day and friendship

Valentine’s Day in Spanish

Día de San Valentín is celebrated in many Spanish-speaking countries. In some places, you may also hear Día del Amor y la Amistad, which highlights both love and friendship.

Your next small win: give a simple Valentine’s Day greeting, talk about gifts and flowers, use para ti, understand te quiero and te amo, and make a simple celebration plan.

Start with love and friendship

Core Valentine’s Day Vocabulary

These words help you talk about the celebration, friendship, gifts, and cards.

Día de San Valentín
Valentine’s Day
Día del Amor y la Amistad
Day of Love and Friendship
amor
Love
amistad
Friendship
regalo
Gift
tarjeta
Card

Name four Valentine’s Day words

Say “love, friendship, gift, and card” in Spanish.

More gift and relationship vocabulary
rosa
Rose
flores
Flowers
chocolate
Chocolate
novio
Boyfriend
novia
Girlfriend
beso
Kiss

Give something to someone

Gifts and Para Ti

Use para ti when something is intended for the person you are speaking to.

Estas flores son para ti.
These flowers are for you.
Tengo un regalo para ti.
I have a gift for you.
Esta tarjeta es para ti.
This card is for you.
Voy a regalar flores.
I am going to give flowers as a gift.
Voy a regalar chocolate.
I am going to give chocolate as a gift.

Para vs. por: when a gift is intended for someone, use para: un regalo para ti.

Give a simple gift

Say “These flowers are for you” and “I have a gift for you.”

Express affection naturally

Te Quiero and Te Amo

Spanish has more than one common way to express love and affection. The exact feeling and intensity can vary by relationship and region.

Te quiero.
I love you / I care about you.
Te quiero mucho.
I love you very much / I care about you very much.
Te amo.
I love you.
¡Feliz Día de San Valentín!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Celebramos el amor y la amistad.
We celebrate love and friendship.

Nuance: te quiero is very common for affection and can be used with romantic partners, family, and other close relationships. te amo often expresses stronger or deeper love, but usage varies by region and relationship.

Give a Valentine’s Day greeting

Wish someone a happy Valentine’s Day and tell them you care about them very much.

Talk about your plans

Valentine’s Day Plans and Questions

Use ir a + infinitive to talk about plans for the celebration.

¿Qué vas a hacer el Día de San Valentín?
What are you going to do on Valentine’s Day?
Voy a cenar con mi novia.
I am going to have dinner with my girlfriend.
Voy a cenar con mi novio.
I am going to have dinner with my boyfriend.
¿Qué regalo vas a comprar?
What gift are you going to buy?
¿Te gustan las flores?
Do you like flowers?
¿Cómo celebras el Día de San Valentín?
How do you celebrate Valentine’s Day?

Plan pattern: voy a + infinitive means “I am going to,” and vas a + infinitive means “you are going to.”

Valentine’s Day plans

A
¿Qué vas a hacer el Día de San Valentín?
What are you going to do on Valentine’s Day?
B
Voy a cenar con mi novia.
I am going to have dinner with my girlfriend.
A
¿Vas a llevar un regalo?
Are you going to bring a gift?
B
Sí, voy a regalar flores y chocolate.
Yes, I am going to give flowers and chocolate.

Make a Valentine’s Day plan

Say that you are going to have dinner with someone and give flowers and chocolate.

Cultural context

Valentine’s Day traditions vary across the Spanish-speaking world. In some places the celebration emphasizes romantic relationships, while in others friendship is also an important part of the day.

People may exchange flowers, chocolates, cards, small gifts, or kind messages. The exact customs and even the name of the celebration can vary by country.

Lesson boundary: this lesson focuses on Valentine’s Day language and affection. Broader vocabulary for partners, relatives, and personal connections belongs in the Relationships lesson.

Your turn · 8 quick questions

Practice: Valentine’s Day

Choose the answer that best fits each situation. Focus on greetings, gifts, para ti, affection, friendship, and simple plans.

Audio uses your device's Spanish text-to-speech voice. Listen to each phrase, then practice greetings, gifts, affection, friendship, and Valentine’s Day plans.