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PhrasesBreakupsTi voglio ancora bene — e per questo lascio.
B2informal

Ti voglio ancora bene — e per questo lascio.

I still care about you — and that's why I'm leaving.

Pronunciation

ti VOG-lio AN-co-ra BE-ne — e per QUES-to LAS-cio — stress on 'vog-', 'an-', 'be-', 'ques-', 'las-'.

When to use it

The paradox of leaving out of love — when ending the relationship is itself an act of care for the other person.

What it means

'Ti voglio ancora bene' = I still care about you / love you (not romantically, but with deep affection). 'Per questo lascio' = and that's why I'm leaving. The paradox — leaving because you care — is one of the most sophisticated emotional positions in a breakup. It places the other person's well-being above your own desire to stay.

Variations

Se non ti volessi bene, sarebbe più facile restare.

If I didn't care about you, it would be easier to stay.

Counterintuitive — the caring makes staying wrong, not easier

Lascio perché so che non ti sto rendendo felice — e mi importa troppo di te.

I'm leaving because I know I'm not making you happy — and I care about you too much.

Specific reason + specific care — the most honest version

Il mio amore per te è abbastanza grande da lasciarti andare.

My love for you is large enough to let you go.

Love as liberation rather than possession — deeply mature

Mini Dialogue

— Se mi vuoi bene, perché mi lasci? — Perché ti voglio ancora bene — e per questo lascio. — Non capisco. — Lascio perché so che non ti sto rendendo felice. E ti voglio troppo bene per continuare così. — Questo è il modo più doloroso per dirmi che ci tieni. — Lo so.

— If you care about me, why are you leaving? — Because I still care about you — and that's why I'm leaving. — I don't understand. — I'm leaving because I know I'm not making you happy. And I care about you too much to continue like this. — That's the most painful way of telling me you care. — I know.

Cultural Note

In Italian romantic philosophy, leaving out of love ('andarsene per amore') is considered the highest form of self-sacrifice. It draws from a long tradition of stories where the loving thing to do is to let go. This phrase is both a genuine emotional truth and a culturally resonant gesture of deep respect.