What is the word i love you in french

First, let’s see the typical translation for “I love you” in French.

How To Say “I Love” You In French?

The typical translation for “I love you” is :

1. Je t’aime (enunciated) – je t’aime (modern French pronunciation)
   I love you using “tu”.
2. Je vous aime (enunciated) – je vous aime (modern French pronunciation)
   I love you using “vous”. More about tu versus vous you in French

Like it is often the case in French, the pronunciation will change slightly depending on whether you are speaking in a very enunciated manner or using a casual French pronunciation.

Carful though. Saying je t’aime to a friend would be a big faux-pas ! je t’aime actually means ‘I am in love with you’.

I love You In English

In English, the verb “to love” is confusing because it expresses a variety of feelings. You can say “I love you” to someone you are in love with, but also to your parents, or a friend to express friendship.

It’s not the case in French.

I love You In French

je t’aime really translates as ‘I am in love with you’.
To keep it on a friendship level, you need to ADD an adverb: “je t’aime beaucoup, je t’aime bien…” I understand it’s counter intuitive but that’s what we do in French!

You could say je t’aime to a member of your very close family, such as your child, a sibling, or your parents, or even a pet.

How To Answer I Love You In French?

The typical answer to I love you in French is “moi aussi“: me too. It’s as simple as that.

Now, here are other phrases to express your love in French.

9 Ways To Say I Love You In French

Let’s see how to nuance I love you.

All the audio recordings below will feature modern spoken French pronunciation.

1. Je t’aime de tout mon coeur – I love you with all my heart
2. Je suis amoureux/amoureuse de toi – I’m in love with you
3. Je t’aime passionnément – I love you with passion
4. Je t’aime à la folie – I’m crazy about you
5. Tu es l’amour de ma vie – you are the love of my life
6. Tu es mon grand amour – you’re my biggest love
7. J’ai eu le coup de foudre pour toi – it was love at first sight
8. Je te kiffe – I love you / I fancy you using actually an Arabic term that is nowadays quite commonly used in modern spoken French, especially by younger people.
9. JTM – pronouncing it like the letters [jé té aim] – comes from texting in French and popular among young French people and teens.

13 Ways to Avoid I Love You in French

Sometimes, you have strong feelings about someone, but you’re note quite ready to drop the L bomb!

Although we’ll see below that it’s not as big a deal in France than it is other countries, you may need alternative to I love you in French.

1. Tu me plais (beaucoup / énormément) – I fancy you, I’m fond of you
2. J’en pince pour toi – I have a crush on you
3. Je suis fou/folle de toi – I’m crazy about you
4. Je suis dingue de toi – I’m crazy about you (a bit more colloquial)
5. Je suis épris(e) de toi – I’m taken by you (quite formal)
6. Tu m’as tapé dans l’oeil – you made quite an impression on me
7. Je suis morgane de toi – pretty poetic slang – I’m crazy about you. French singer Renaud made this expression quite popular.
8. Je ne peux pas vivre sans toi – I can’t live without you
9. Je brûle pour toi – I’m burning (with love) for you
10. Mon coeur s’enflamme en pensant à toi – my heart turns to flame when I think of you
11. Je t’adore – I adore you – very used, a very good alternative to not say “I love you” in French…
12. Je suis à toi – I’m yours. Why did I enunciate this one? Well, a “glided” pronunciation didn’t sound good to me here. So I record what I would say.
13. Tu es tout pour moi – you’re everything for me. Same remark.

You will find longer lists on the internet but watch out… expressions are not timeless… Saying “Je t’ai dans la peau” – ‘I got you under my skin’ for example is not an expression we use seriously today. One can use it to be over-dramatic, or as a joke.

That’s why you have to be careful with articles with lists of expressions: without the right context, you could be making a big faux pas!

I highly recommend learning French in context: my French audiobook learning method is illustrated with an ongoing novel, entirely recorded in French (featuring both enunciated and modern spoken French pronunciations), and follows the Parisian life of Mary and her friends from their teen years to their forties… It includes young romances and life-long love stories!

10 Ways To Say My Love In French

There are many cute love nicknames in French. Follow the link to my article with audio for 44 French love nicknames. Here are some French love names that work for both men and women.

1. Mon amour – my love
2. Mon ange – my angel
3. Mon trésor – my treasure
4. Mon coeur – my heart
5. Mon canard – my duck – yes, I know… wait, it gets worse…
6. Mon chou – my sweet bun (un chou à la crème is a cream filled puff pastry) – “mon petit chou” is also quite common
7. Mon chouchou – comes from “mon chou”
8. Doudou – no literal translation – it sounds very bad in English but we use it a lot in French! The origine is Creole French and it means sweety, darling…
9. Mon lapin – my rabbit
10. Mon poussin – my chick

Now, words have their limits. The best way to express you love in French may be in loving gestures, and thoughtful acts, such as being encouraging, being there for your loved one, checking up on him/her regularly, sending texts… of course, the occasional bouquet of flower is also appreciated!

The Crazy French Word For Love 🤪

The French word for love is L’amour.

But what is so weird about love in French is that it is masculine in the singular, and feminine in the plural !!!

• Un grand amour = a big love
• Des amours tumultueuses = difficult love

Love is definitely crazy!

Pronunciation of Love In French

You need to watch your pronunciation for “l’amour”, love in French. French students often mistake:

1. L’amour = la moor = love
2. La mort = la mor = death
3. L’humour = lu moor = humor
4. L’humeur = lu meur = mood

Quite a trap!

11 French Love Expressions

There are many expressions with the word love in French:

1. faire l’amour – to make love.
2. le grand amour – true love
3. un amour interdit – forbidden love
4. un premier amour – first love
5. un amour de jeunesse – first love, love when you where young
6. une histoire d’amour – a love story, a love affair
7. un philtre d’amour – love potion
8. filer le parfait amour – to be happily in love
9. l’amour-propre – self esteem
10. L’amour rend aveugle – love is bling
11. Vivre d’amour et d’eau fraîche – to live on love alone

30 French Love Words

1. L’amour – love
2. L’amitié – friendship
3. Je t’aime – I love you (using tu)
4. Je vous aime – I am in love with you (using vous)
5. Je l’aime – I am in love with him/her
6. Je suis amoureux / amoureuse de toi, lui, elle, vous… – I am in love with you, him, her, you
7. Tomber Amoureux / amoureuse – to fall in love (not tomber en amour which is used in Canadian French but not in France)
8. Est-ce que tu veux sortir avec moi – would you like to go out with me ?
9. Est-ce que tu veux (bien) m’épouser – would you marry me? The bien here is optional, and means “are you willing to marry me”, but it’s what we traditionally say.
10. To kiss – embrasser, s’embrasser. WATCH OUT !!! Not “baiser”… I’m sorry to be vulgar but you need to be aware that “un baiser” is fine, it’ a kiss, but “baiser” as a verb nowadays means to f..k.
11. A kiss – un baiser, un bisou – I wrote a whole article on the subject of French kisses.
12. Les fiançailles – engagement
13. Se fiancer – to get engaged
14. Un fiancé, une fiancée – someone you are engaged to. But sometimes used to say someone you are just dating.
15. Le mariage – marriage, wedding (only one R in French)
16. Se marier avec quelqu’un – to get married with someone
17. Épouser quelqu’un – to marry someone
18. Un marié – a groom
19. Une mariée – a bride
20. Un mari / un époux – a husband
    Watch out between un marié, une mariée, un mari…
21. Une femme (pronounced “fam”) / une épouse – a wife
22. Un/ une partenaire – a partner. Mostly used for gay couples in French.
23. Un compagnon / une compagne – a partner as used in British English : someone you live with but you are not necessarily married to.
24. Un amoureux / une amoureuse – a sweetheart
25. Un petit-ami/ un petit-copain – a boyfriend
26. Une petite-amie / une petite-copine – a girlfriend
27. Watch out! “un amant” means a lover, as in someone you have sexual relations with or you are cheating on your spouse with. So not to be used lightly in French.
28. Mon chéri, ma chérie, mon amour… there are plenty of French terms of endearments: I suggest you read (and listen) to my article about the French love nicknames with audio.
29. Joyeuse Saint Valentin – happy Valentine’s day.
30. Tu veux être mon valentin / ma valentine ? Would you be my valentine?

I Like You ≠ I Love You In French

Now let’s see how to differentiate friendship from romantic love.

In both cases, we are going to use the verb “aimer”.

1. J’aime Paul – I am in love with Paul (love)
2. J’aime beaucoup Paul –  I like Paul a lot (friendship)

The difference between like and love? The adverb! Add an adverb to the verb “aimer” and you’re staying in the friend zone!

To say you like or love someone as a friend, say:

1. Je t’aime bien
2. Je t’aime beaucoup
3. Je t’aime énormément
4. Je t’aime de tout mon coeur (with all my heart)

Many French love songs and movies have a dialogue along these lines:

• Est-ce que tu m’aimes ? 
  Are you in love with me ?
• Euh…. je t’aime beaucoup… 
  Well…I like you a lot…

Or to quote the song from Zazie, “Chanson d’ami” from the album “Made in Love”:
Je ne t’aime pas : je t’aime bien 
I am not in love with you: I like you

Outch!

How To Translate To Be In Love In French?

If you really wanted to be clear and express you are in love with someone, you could use the expression: Je suis amoureux/amoureuse de toi – I’m in love with you  (careful, not “être en amour” which they use in Canada, but not in France).

J’aime beaucoup Paul, mais je ne suis pas amoureuse de lui.
I like Paul a lot, but I’m not in love with him.

It’s a bit redundant, but it’s very clear.

Saying I love You In France – Not Such A Big Deal

In many American sitcoms, saying I love you seems to be a very, very big deal. A milestone in the relationship.

It doesn’t seem to be quite strong a deal in France. Of course, saying I love you is never something you say lightly, but it doesn’t seem to be such a big deal. According to France 2, 8% of French people would be ready to say “I love you” on the first day!! Yet, France 2 also says many French feel comfortable saying “I love you” within two months of the relationship (Frenchmen: 88 days, Frenchwomen 134 days!)

What About Dating In France ?

Well, this was a big shock to me when I arrived in the US. I had no idea what “dating” meant.

I understood of course a man and a woman could be interested in each other in a romantic way, let me reassure you.

But I was not aware that accepting to go out to dinner with a man alone gave the signal that I was possibly romantically interested in him.

Nor did I know about this first date, second date and third date business.

In France, it’s very common for a girl to go out to dinner with a male friend. Even for a married woman to go out with a male friend who is single.

I wrote a whole article about dating in France and the culture around it. I invite you to follow the link to read it.

Valentine’s Day In France

Valentine’s day in France is only for people who are romantically in love. In the US, it’s common for kids to give valentines to their friends, their teachers… It’s not the case in France.

To know more about Valentine Day in France, I invite you to read my article.

I’ll end this long article with a video of a love poem said by my daughter.

S/he Loves Me, S/he Loves Me Not In French 🌼

Listen to my daughter Leyla when she was 4 years old telling the French version of “s/he loves me, s/he loves me not”, a child’s game where you pick up the petals of a flower (usually a daisy).

The French game goes:
Il/elle m’aime un peu, beaucoup, passionnément, à la folie… pas du tout!
S/he loves me a bit, a lot, with passion, s/he’s crazy about me… s/he doesn’t love me at all!

French Love Poem

Ma main est une fleur
Mes doigts sont les cinq pétales
Dis moi jolie petite fleur
Est-ce que ma maman
M’aime de tout son coeur ?
Elle m’aime un peu, beaucoup,
Passionnément, à la folie,
Pas du tout.
Pas du tout ??
Vilaine petite fleur !
Je sais que ma maman
M’aime de tout son coeur !

Note: Leyla says: “une main est une fleur” instead of “ma main”… little mistake.
Then she says “mes doigts Y (for “ils”) sont les cinq pétales” – that’s common spoken French for you!

English Translation of the French Love Poem

My hand is a flower
My fingers are the five petals
Tell me pretty flower
Does my Mom love me with all her heart ?
She loves me a little, a lot,
Passionately, madly,
Not at all.
Not at all ??
Naughty little flower!
I know my mom
Loves me with all her heart!

Awwwwwhhhh. my heart melts each time I watch this video… Moi aussi je t’aime de tout mon coeur ma Leylounette chérie !

Voilà, I hope this lesson clarified things about how to say I love you in French.

I post exclusive mini lessons, tips, pictures and more daily on my Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest pages – so join me there!

If you liked this article, I may also like:

1. French Women Don’t Date – the French Dating System Explained
2. Flirting in French
3. Valentine’s day in France
4. All About French Kissing
5. French love nicknames (with audio)

Every day is the perfect time to fall in love over and over again. Wherever you are in the universe, no one can deny the fact that hearing the words Je t’aime – I love you in the French language sounds 100% more romantic than that plain old English. With this being said, this special article will take you through a few heart-fluttering and soul-awakening phrases of love in the French language.

From the simple to the advanced, here are the different ways of capturing the sentiment of romantic love by saying, I love you in the French Language. It may be in the form of poetry, art, music, and even culture. France is considered one of the most prominent countries that are usually associated with terms like elegance, love, and passion.

French – The Language of Love

French is most of the times referred to as the language of love, so it is of no surprise how to say “I love you”. However, I love you in the French Language will help you determine which expression of devotion can be appropriate for your romantic situation.

If you’re in a relationship, the words you are using to describe a fledgling affection in French have to be quite different from those you would choose to communicate abiding profound commitment. 

With over 7,117 languages in the world today, expressing I love you in the French Language is linguistically considered to be a smooth and flowy language of expressing love as it combines nasal vowel sounds with a melodious and angelic intonation.

Few Reasons to Learn to Speak French

• It’s a global language with more than 300 million speakers.
• If you learn French, you’ll get exposed to more job and travel opportunities.
• French is the best language of culture with phenomenal cooking, fashion, architecture, music, theatre, and movies to explore.
• It is a “love language” and who knows, you just might be able to date a French girl or guy in the future.
• When you are learning the French language, you’ll be able to study and explore some of the world’s leading universities that are found in France, Canada, and other French-speaking countries. 
• Learning French is simply fun! 

Phrase 1 – Je t’aime

English: I love you.

When/ How to Say the Expression? This is the most standard way of professing I Love You in the French Language for your better half. Never use this to express your love to your friends.

Phrase 2 – Je t’adore

English: I adore you.

When/ How to Say the Expression? If you vividly want to express how much you worship your partner, you can use this phrase as a substitute for Je t’aime as it is much stronger.

Phrase 3 – Je t’aime bien

English: I like you.

When/ How to Say the Expression? Like and love is literally different things, which is why if you have a feeling that you care for the person, but you still do not think or find it is love, use this phrase instead of saying, I love you in the French language.

Phrase 4 – Je t’aime beaucoup

English: I am fond of you.

When/ How to Say the Expression?  When you are speaking to your friends, you can use this to tell them how much you adore or like them.

Phrase 5 – Mon coeur bat la chamade pour toi

English: My heart is racing for you.

When/ How to Say the Expression? If you want to sound poetic, you can use this to express your love. You have collywobbles and it also depends on how loudly your heart beats for your special person.

Phrase 6 – Tu comptes tant pour moi

English: You mean so much to me.

When/ How to Say the Expression? If you feel a little bit shy about saying, I love you in the French language, use this phrase first to see how your special person will react, then express your feeling for him/her.

Phrase 7 – Je te désire

English: I want you.

When/ How to Say the Expression? If you want to make your special one, feel your vibe and passion toward him/her, say this phrase in combination with I love you in the French Language.

Phrase 8 – Tu es l’amour de ma vie

English: You are the love of my life.

When/ How to Say the Expression? This is used to express your profound love and passion for your special person.

Phrase 9 – Je t’aime tellement

English: I love you so much.

When/ How to Say the Expression? Of course, most of the time, adding the word ‘so much” can earn you an extra cookie point to your special or loved one. It is one step higher than just simply saying I love you in French.

Phrase 10 – Je suis fou amoureux de toi

English: I am madly in love with you.

When/ How to Say the Expression? Does he/she make you go jelly totally? Express profound infatuation by using this phrase instead of saying I love you in the French Language.

Zing Languages – The Best Platform to Learn the French Language

Some of the highlights of the Zing Languages include:

• They follow an interactional methodology to maintain social relations with people from diverse cultures.
• The coaching provided here is based on language or words that are used in real-life situations.
• You can take the classes online and become fluent in communication within a short span of time.
• Moreover, you can build conversations on this best platform by interacting with foreigners along with certifications.

Conclusion

Thus, there are so many different languages that are spoken throughout the world, and opting for ‘Zing Languages’ can be an excellent choice as the best platform to learn the French language starting from simple to complex phrases. Moreover, it can enhance your career growth along with communication to help you speak fluently within a short span of time.

Check out How to Pronounce French E with Accent.

Every day is the perfect time for falling in love over and over again. Wherever you are in the world, no one can deny the fact that hearing the words Je t’aime, or I love you in French sounds 100% more romantic than plain old English. With this being said, this special article will walk you through some heart-fluttering and soul-awakening love phrases in the French language.

May it be in music, poetry, art, and even culture, France remains to be considered as one of the most prominent countries usually associated with terms like love, elegance, and passion.

One of the reasons behind that is because historically, France was the first to celebrate the notion of romance and debunk the myth that true love does not exist. At that time in the 12th century, the people finally embraced the meaning of love through real courtship, songs, dances, and literature.

With over 7,117 languages in the world today, only one is considered the most beautiful spoken language, and that is French. It is linguistically considered as a smooth and flowy language, with its nasal vowel sounds combined with a melodious and almost angelic intonation.

How To Say I Love You In French?

I Love You = ‘

Je t’aime

‘

If you landed on this post, then it’s safe to say that perhaps you have finally met your match, and you are now starting to wonder how exactly to say those three little words that can change both of your lives. And for us here at Ling App, we definitely understand how important it is to say the right expressions, which is why we make it a point to review and cross-check all our translations just for you.

Ready to make your special someone go head over heels and fall further for you? Whether you prepared a romantic picnic or you just want to say it out loud once and for all, express you are sincere I love you in French today using our handy list of phrases below.

French	English	When/How To Say The Expression	Sound
Je t’aime	I love you	This is the most standard way of professing love for your other half. Never use this for expressing love to your friends.
Je t’adore	I adore you	If you want to vividly express how much you worship your partner, you can use this as a substitute to Je t’aime as it is stronger.
Je t’aime bien	I like you	Like and love are two different things, which is why if you feel that you care for the person, but you still do not think it is love, use this phrase instead.
Je t’aime beaucoup	I am fond of you	When speaking to your friends, you can use this to tell them how much you like them.
Tu es l’amour de ma vie	You are the love of my life	This is used to express your profound passion and love for your special someone.
Mon coeur bat la chamade pour toi	My heart is racing for you	Want to sound poetic? Use this to express how loudly your heart beats for your special person.
Je suis fou amoureux de toi	I am madly in love with you	Does he/she make you go totally jelly? Express profound infatuation using this phrase instead.
Je te désire	I want you	If you want to make your partner feel your passion toward him/her, say this phrase in combination with I love you.
Tu comptes tant pour moi	You mean so much to me	Feeling a little bit shy about saying it all out? Say this phrase first to see how he/she will react.
Je t’aime tellement	I love you so much	Of course, sometimes adding the word ‘so much” can earn you an extra cookie point to your loved one.

Terms Of Endearment In French

Love is felt better if you use pet names, nicknames, or terms of endearment for your special person. If the English have “hubby,” “wifey,” or “bae,” the French has a whole set of fresh terms that you can use to tone down conflicts by raising humor and playfulness. In line with this, we also prepared a few creative terms that are usually used by the locals. Do note that some of these are very random, which can relate to animals, food, places, and so much more! If that sits well with you, then check out our list below.

French	English	Sound
Mon bébé	My baby
Ma belle	My beautiful
Mon amour	My love
Ma chère	My dear
Mon trésor	My treasure
Mon cœur	My heart
Ma moitié	My other half
Ma chérie	My darling
Mon ange	My angel
Mon lapin	My rabbit
Mon chaton	My kitten
Mon poussin	My chicky
Mon oisillon	My little birdie
Mon nounours	My teddy bear
Mon chou	My cabbage

Now that you know how to say I love you in French and have the native-sounding expressions in your arsenal, you do not have to sweat anymore when declaring your sincere feelings to your romantic partner.

There are many other delightful and heart-fluttering words in the French language. If you want to know more about that, we highly suggest that you download our language app to support your adventure in French. And if you are still wondering if French is a difficult language to learn, here are some amazing hacks that will help you!

Cannot Wait To Learn More And Sound Like A Pro French Speaker?

Unlike other languages, French holds a distinctive set of words and phrases heavily shaped by the country’s rich and colorful history. Due to this, language enthusiasts and travelers worldwide are challenging themselves to learn the language and appreciate the history behind every line, letter, and syllable.

Interested to learn more French language vocabulary words and grammatical structure? For additional reinforcement in this language, check out the Ling App to master any language of your choice in no time. 

What sets this application apart is that it features fun mini-games, chatbots, and engaging quizzes that will encourage you every day to practice and discover further about the target language. This app is perfect to begin your language learning journey!

Do you want to speak in French? Download Ling App from App Store or Play Store now!

Love is one of those great universal things. It’s something that all of us experience in some way, no matter what country or culture we come from, or what language we speak. 

Interestingly, though, the way different cultures express their love can vary widely. So, how do the French talk and think about love?

Let’s look at how to say “I love you” and “love” in French, and some French love facts that may surprise you!

The French for “I love you” is Je t’aime (informal) or je vous aime (formal or plural.) In most cases, “je t’aime” is used just like “I love you” in English.

If you want to say “I love you
so much”, be careful which modifier you use (more on that in the next
section).  “I love you so much” in
French is either Je t’aime tellement or Je t’aime tant.

Je t’aime tellement is the one I hear most often more often  – in movies and TV shows, I mean, not said to
me by a string of prétendants (suitors). 

If you want to get more creative when it comes to declaring your love for someone in French, this article includes a great list of options, although I would caution against using Je t’adore if you’re declaring your love to a French person. French people seem to find it funny and over-the-top, at least when a foreigner says it.

In fact, the French often portray Anglo-Saxons, especially Americans, as saying J’adore about anything and anyone…and before I realized this, I have to admit that, in my case, they weren’t necessarily wrong! But then, am I wrong to find beauty and joy everywhere? 

This song by eccentric French music star Philippe Katerine is what I think goes through the mind of a French person who hears someone say j’adore.

In a previous article, French Together’s Benjamin suggested this as another good déclaration d’amour (declaration of love): Je suis amoureux/amoureuse de toi (I’m in love with you). It’s a phrase you often hear on French shows and movies, and no wonder — as in English, it lets someone share their feelings and also makes them vulnerable in a way.

How to say “love” in French

The French word for “love” is l’amour. It’s used for romantic love, familial love or even a love of activities, things, and ideas.

But
that’s where the simplicity ends.

Originally, amour  was a feminine noun, but over the course of
time, that’s changed.  If you ask many
modern-day French speakers, amour is one of only three words in the French language that
changes gender when it’s pluralized, from masculine when it’s singular, to feminine
when it’s plural.

So,
you could see something like:

Entre eux c’est l’amour fou.

They’re madly in love.

Il me semble que Jean a déjà eu plusieurs grandes amours dans sa vie.

It seems to me that Jean has experienced true love quite a lot already.

But
this isn’t officially correct. Prestigious French grammar
institutions, including the Académie Française (the organization that determines
the official rules for the French language), consider amour a masculine
noun in both its singular and plural forms.

Still,
don’t be surprised to see some French people making amour feminine when
it’s plural – old habits, like first loves, die hard. And it could also be that
what you’re seeing or reading comes from a time when the word was officially
feminine in its plural form – or maybe someone is trying to convey older French
language, for example in a historical fiction novel.

Unless
you’re deliberately trying to be old-fashioned, though, remember to keep amour
masculine in both its singular and plural forms.

How
to say “to love” in French

Okay,
so, like many relationships, that got complicated!  Luckily, “to love” in French is aimer,
a regular -er verb. Like amour, it can be used for all kinds
of love: romantic, familial, etc. Now, that’s something to love!

Here are the conjugations of some of the most common tenses of aimer:

Present	imparfait	Passé composé	Future
j’aime	J’aimais	J’ai aimé	J’aimerai
Tu aimes	Tu aimais	Tu as aimé	Tu aimeras
Il/elle/on aime	Il/elle/on aimait	Il/elle/on a aimé	Il/elle/on aimera
Nous aimons	Nous aimions	Nous avons aimé	Nous aimerons
Vous aimez	Vous aimiez	Vous avez aimé	Vous aimerez
Ils/elles aiment	Ils/elles aimaient	Ils/elles ont aimé	Ils/elles aimeront

Conditional	Subjunctive	Imperative
J’aimerais	Que j’aime	Aime
Tu aimerais	Que tu aimes	Aimons
Il/elle/on aimerait	Qu’il/elle/on aime	Aimez
Nous aimerions	Que nous aimions
Vous aimeriez	Que vous aimiez
Ils/elles aimeraient	Qu’ils/elles aiment

There
are several love-related words that are directly derived from aimer.
These include:

aimé(e) – loved/beloved. Example: Jacques est aimé de tous. (Jacques is loved by
everyone/Everyone loves Jacques)

bien-aimé(e) – beloved, well-beloved. Example: Nous sommes ici pour fêter notre
bien- aimée Françoise. (We’re here to celebrate our beloved Françoise.)

How to say “I like you” in
French

Interestingly, there is no
verb that specifically means “like” in French. Usually, you’ll see aimer,
or maybe the more formal apprécier.

Paradoxically, you can tell also someone you like but don’t love them by adding bien.

Yes, that’s right – if a French person says Je t’aime bien, that doesn’t mean the love you a lot, but that they simply like you.

British comedian Paul Taylor has
a great theory about aimer bien thattruly made me laugh when I
first heard it. For him, it’s a way for the French to maintain dignity in case
they see that the person they’re trying to declare their love to doesn’t feel
the same way!  You can watch his
delightful video about romance in France here (the aimer bien part is at the 2:10 minute mark).

But what if you don’t want to let someone down easy? Can you still use aimer bien? I’ve heard French people use it to show that they really appreciate a good friend. But more commonly, if you want to tell someone you like them in a non-romantic way in French, the best way to express this is probably to simply say why you like them.

For example: Tu es un bon ami (You’re a good friend) or Je m’amuse toujours quand on est ensemble. (I always have fun when we’re together.)

You may be wondering if adding
any adverb to je t’aime makes the statement less strong. As this thread points out, although that can
be true with certain ones, like bien and beaucoup, for many
others, that’s not the case at all.

We’ve seen that tellement
and tant really do make je t’aime stronger. Other adverbs, like passionnément,
are also sincere. And then there are some cases where it just depends on the
context. That probably sounds frustrating, but I can tell you that, even as a
foreigner, I think it works. Often, you’ll hear these declarations in your own
personal life or in a book, movie, story, show, etc., so you’ll already know
something about the feelings of the person who’s saying it, after all.

If
you’re worried that your declaration of love might be misunderstood due to
adverbs, don’t be – just keep things simple and say Je t’aime.

How to say “I love something” in
French

If I’m eating a really delicious cookie, in English – especially American English – I could just let out all of my feelings, all of the explosive joy and sensory delight that I’m experiencing in that moment: “I love this cookie!” or “This is the best cookie I’ve ever eaten,” and so on.

But the French find extreme displays of emotion unnecessary and insincere. It would be perfectly okay to talk about loving cookies in general (J’aime les biscuits) But for a single cookie? Jamais! Instead, a French person would keep some verbal distance by simply complementing the cookie – for example, Il est vraiment bon, ce biscuit (This cookie is really good).

How about activities? In that
case,  j’aime is fine, and will be
understood as “like” or “really enjoy”. 

If you want to convey that a particular activity is your life’s passion, use something like passionné(e) par.  For example, Je suis passionnée par la lecture et Paul est passionné par le sport. (I love to read, Paul loves sports.) But the expression is even more effective when passionné(e) is a noun, like so: Je suis une passionnée de la lecture, Paul est un passionné du sport. (Reading is my passion, Paul’s passion is sports.) But if you can play it down, really, aimer and a non-specific object or activity is fine.

Can you say you love your pet in
French?

I have heard people say J’aime
mon chien, J’aime mon chat, or J’aime just about any other
kind of pet they might have, quite often in France.  Grammatically and culturally, using j’aime
with your pet is fine, with two exceptions.

The first is, do not say J’aime ma chatte. Even if the person you’re talking to knows that you have a female cat, somewhere in the back of their mind, they’ll be giggling, because it sounds like you’re talking about something else – une chatte also means “pussy” (a vulgar word for the vulva).

So just say J’aime mon chat – it’s probably not important that the person you’re talking to knows your cat’s gender anyway. Or if it is, you might be able to get away with it by adding your cat’s name: J’aime ma chatte Chloë. (I love my cat Chloë). But even then, confusion might ensue.

The second time it may be a bit
complicated to say you love your pet is when you’re talking to someone who
doesn’t get it – and in France, that may happen a lot.

Many French people grew up in rural environments where animals had jobs and weren’t meant to be fawned over. These people will often scoff over “city folks” who bring their pets regularly to the vet. 

That being said, not all French people feel this way, by far. In fact, a recent survey found that 60% of French people think that sharing their life with a pet can be emotionally fulfilling. They just may not be as open about it as we are in some other cultures.

And there will always be people
who don’t get it, no matter what their background. My American father, for
example, was just as baffled about my including my cat’s name on our Christmas
card, as my French mother-in-law was. 
So, don’t be afraid to proudly say J’aime mon animal de compagnie!
(I love my pet!) And if you feel moved and want to tell your pet Je t’aime,
go for it!  In fact, why not stop reading
and do it right now?

As for a species or type of
animal, it’s normal to refer to them as a collective and use aimer.  For example, Noëlle aime les poissons et Marie aime
les baleines. (Noelle
likes fish and Marie likes whales.).

Some
common French love vocabulary

There
are many, many ways to talk about love, but these words come up frequently in
French.:

faire l’amour – to make love. This is one of those phrases that a lot of non-French speakers know, too! If you’re looking for more vulgar ways to express this, check out our list of French swear words.

le grand amour – true love. Example: Entre Pierre et Céline, c’est le grand amour. (Pierre and Celine are truly in love./Pierre is Céline’s true love./Céline is Pierre’s true love.)

l’amour de ma vie – The love of my life.

fou amoureux/euse (de) – to be madly in love (with). Example: Elle est fou amoureuse de Johnny. (She’s madly in love with Johnny.)

fou/folle de toi/de lui/d’elle, etc. – crazy about you/him/her, etc. Example: Je suis fou de toi. (I’m crazy about you.)

dingue de toi/lde ui/d’elle, etc. – mad about you/him/her, etc. For fans of the Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt sitcom ‘Mad About You,’ this is the title in French.

un amour impossible – forbidden love. Example: Luna est amoureuse de Michel, le mari de sa sœur bien-aimée ; hélas, c’est un amour impossible. (Luna is in love with Michel, her beloved sister’s husband; alas, it’s a forbidden love.)

le/un premier amour – first love. This can refer to the experience or a person. Note that the term stays the same, whether the subject is masculine or feminine. Examples: 1. Le premier amour est un évènement majeur dans la vie. (Your first love is a major moment in a person’s life.) 2. Bette était son premier amour. (Bette was her first love.)

un amour de jeunesse – one’s childhood love/first love. Of course, if you didn’t fall in love until you were older, I wouldn’t use this expression. In that case, just use mon premier amour

amant(e) – a lover. Example: Emma Bovary avait deux amants. (Emma Bovary had two lovers.)

filer le parfait amour – to be living the perfect love story/to be happily in love.

une histoire d’amour – a love story OR a love affair! Be careful with this one – although usually the context makes it clear. Examples: 1. Et si c’était vrai… est l’histoire d’amour entre un homme et une femme qui est peut-être un fantôme. (If Only It Were True is a love story between a man and a woman who might be a ghost.) 2. Elle a eu une histoire d’amour avec le boucher. (She had an affair with the butcher.)

tomber amoureux/euse (de) – to fall in love (with). Note that the verb tomber is conjugated with être in the past tense, which means it has to agree with the subject. Example: Elle est tombée amoureuse de Stéphane. (She fell in love with Stéphane.)

le coup de foudre/avoir un coup de foudre – love at first sight/to fall in love at first sight. Unlike its English equivalent, this expression in French is delightfully descriptive: un coup de foudre can also mean “a lightning strike”! Example: Je l’ai vu au musée, au milieu d’une foule, et là, c’était le coup de foudre. (I saw him at the museum, in the middle of a crowd — it was love at first sight.)

un philtre d’amour – a love potion. Okay, so this isn’t necessarily something that pertains to all relationships, but you never know….

la vie amoureuse/sentimentale – one’s love life.

l’amour-propre – self-respect. Example: Non, je ne ferai pas semblant d’être amoureux de cette femme pour prendre son argent ! Elle est méchante et écœurante ! J’ai de l’amour-propre, quand même. (No, I won’t pretend to be in love with this woman in order to get her money! She’s mean and repulsive! I’ve got some self-respect, after all.

déclarer sa flamme – to declare your love for someone. I love this expression, because it makes it seem like the love inside of you is like a flame. So poetic! You can use it as-is when talking about declaring your love to someone, or you can add an object pronoun to specify that you’re declaring your love to someone. Examples: 1. Aujourd’hui je vois Thérèse et je déclare ma flamme ! (Today when I see Thérèse, I’ll declare my love!) 2. Aujourd’hui je vois Thérèse et je lui déclare ma flamme ! (Today when I see Therese, I’ll declare my love to her.)

bisous/gros bisous – Love/Lots of Love/Kisses. This is a very common way to end emails, letters, and even text messages with family or close friends.

bisou – kiss/Love. This is the equivalent of the above, but for the person you’re in love with/in a relationship with. The idea is that while you’d faire la bise (give cheek kisses) with other people you’re close to in your life, with the person you’re in love with, you’d exchange a single kiss on the lips.

jtm – a common way to abbreviate Je t’aime in text messages. If you say
the letters the way
they’re pronounced in the French alphabet, it sounds like this phrase. Of
course, if you choose to text someone “jtm”, just be sure they’re the
sort of person who’d appreciate it.

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Longing for more French love words?  Here’s a good love-, romance-, and friendship -related vocabulary list:  Note, though, that while some people (especially of an older generation) do refer to their female loved one(s) as ma chatte, it probably will sound vulgar or make someone snicker, since, as I mentioned previously, la chatte also means “pussy”, so avoid using that one.

Common
French phrases and expressions about love

Here
are some common French phrases and sayings about love.

There are many others, of course, from lines of poetry, to funny retorts in plays and movies. But these are the generic sayings that have become so much a part of the language that they’re almost a cliché. You’ll find them – or puns or references based on them – all over French pop culture and in daily life.

L’amour rend aveugle – Love is blind. If we have the same expression in English, it’s because some version of this idea has been around since antiquity. But, as in English, this expression is omnipresent in French.

On ne badine pas avec l’amour – Don’t trifle with love/Love is serious business. This expression comes from the eponymous 1834 play by Alfred de Musset and became a common saying in French. You can read the play for free here, if you’re interested.

vivre d’amour et d’eau fraîche – to live on love alone (literally: to live on love and cool water). This can be a good or bad thing, depending on how the speaker feels.

un peu, beaucoup, à la folie – He/She loves me, he/she loves me not… – Whereas in English, this game involves plucking petals of a flower and alternating “He/She loves me” and “He/She loves me not” with each one, the French version actually contains a lot more options; the phrase is a shorter version of Il/Elle m’aime un peu, beaucoup, passionnément, à la folie, pas du tout (He/She loves me a little, a lot, passionately, madly, not at all.). One of my favorite French romcoms has a title that’s a play on words of this famous phrase and the first one on this list: Un peu, beaucoup, aveuglement (A little, a lot, blindly).

Six things you may not know about love in France

For many of us, the French are considered the most romantic people
in the world. But when you learn about how the French see many aspects of
romantic love, you quickly realize that they aren’t romantic in the way most
people expect. Here are six things that might surprise you about love in
France:

1. The French aren’t into big romantic gestures. 

One of the biggest cultural differences between French and many
other cultures (including my own native culture, American), is that the French
aren’t into big emotional displays. They tend to see them as either
fake, stupid, or outright lies — at least outside of fiction.

When it comes to romantic gestures, this exchange from the
film Gazon maudit sums up that mentality: A man selling roses (a common
sight in France) approaches a couple at a table. The man tells the flower
seller “Non merci, on a déjà baisé.” (No thanks, we’ve already fucked.).

Most French people are more low-key about expressing their emotions – including when they’re in love. They may not take you up to the Eiffel Tower and propose to you in front of a huge crowd of people, but they will quietly praise you, play a subtle game of seduction, and want to spend real, quality moments together.  That’s not to say you’ll never get a surprising or pricey gift or an invitation to dinner or a weekend getaway or some such thing, but if you do, it won’t be done in a loud, flashy way.

Which way of showing love is better? Or maybe a middle ground is
the ideal? That’s up to each individual. But I will say from experience that if
you need elaborate, overt displays and affirmations of affection and love, the
typical French person may not be your ideal match.

2. Valentine’s Day isn’t a major French holiday. 

Lots of people I know dream of visiting Paris on Valentine’s Day. It’s true that there are lots of romantic things to do here – but then again, you can do all of those things pretty much any other day of the year, as well.

Although Valentine’s Day is a holiday on the religious and
cultural calendar in France, most French people don’t celebrate it in any kind
of elaborate way. Yes, some couples may go to dinner, especially if they’re  dating. But boxes of chocolates, cards
(including valentines exchanged among schoolkids), and enormous bouquets are
far from the norm among French people.

One thing that is a French Valentine’s Day custom though,
is Parisians declaring
their love on the electronic community announcement panels that are found throughout
the city. A few weeks before Valentine’s Day, Parisians (and anyone in Paris at
the time) can submit short messages to those they love. Many of these will be
selected to be posted citywide on the announcement panels. In recent years,
they’ve also been posted on the City of Paris’s official website. The messages can
be anonymous or specifically addressed to and for someone. They can be an
opportunity to déclarer sa flamme, or simply to show appreciation of
someone you’re already in a relationship with.

To me, even this custom has a French aspect to it: It’s romantic,
but not in-your-face. The words on the panels are printed and change often.
There’s no noise or interference with anyone’s life involved, and because full
names aren’t used, the people involved still maintain their privacy.

3. The French aren’t the most sexually active people in the world.

The French don’t have the most sex out of any country, as many
surveys show. In this recent one by Durex, France
didn’t even crack the top 9! 

Of course, there are many factors that might make surveys
inaccurate or inapplicable. Maybe most French people and their partners don’t
use Durex condoms, or those who do have more important things to do than
participating in a survey. But from experience, I can say that while sex is
often talked and joked about here, I don’t know any French people who can say
they faire l’amour every day.

4. In France, love doesn’t necessarily lead to marriage.

In many cultures, it’s a natural evolution: A couple falls in
love, dates for a while, and then gets engaged and married. Or they may date
for a long time, then decide they want kids and get married in order to be accepted
as parents by society or their family. In France, none of that is necessarily
true.

Many people do get married here, but unless they’re from a
traditional family or subculture, there’s no pressure by French society at
large to do this (inheritance laws aside). Many French people I know, from
the old woman I rented a room from when I was a student in Paris back in the
day, to 20- and 30-something friends, live with the person they love, but
aren’t married.  This is true even if
they have kids. Those who are married might have even waited to do so after
having kids.

According to a 2016 survey of French couples
living in the same household, 73% were married, 20% were unmarried, and 7% were
PACS’ed (The PACS (Pacte
Civile de Solidarité) is the rough equivalent of a civil union in the United States).

All of these couples may have children without judgment by the state or society in general. That’s one of the things I love most about life in France. Regardless of your relationship status the co-parent of your child, you’re not shunned because you don’t have a ring on your finger.

5. Not every Frenchman has a mistress.

Whether you’re a fan of classic French literature or you’ve just
heard the rumors, you may think that cheating on your spouse – especially men
cheating on their wives – is de rigueur in France.

There are some cultural habits that would back this up. For example, the phrase un cinq à sept, which refers to the person you sleep with at the end of the workday (5 to 7pm), when your spouse thinks you’re still at work. Or the many French movies where infidelity seems par for the course, and is often forgiven, especially if men are the culprits. 

Despite all of this, French isn’t the most unfaithful nationality in the world. That “honor” goes to Thailand! Still, the rate of extramarital affairs in France is high; it ranks 5^th out of the list of the most unfaithful countries, with a rate of 43% of surveyed people having had an affair.

But romantic, monogamous love isn’t necessarily dead. The study
found that 63% of French people believe you can only truly love one person. And
in another poll, 67% of the
French people surveyed believe in a lifelong love, and 76% are happy in their
current relationship.

If you’re in love with these surprising facts, here’s yet another survey that will
reveal even more about love in France.

French love songs

Like most languages and cultures, French boasts countless love
songs. In fact, a recent poll asked French people to say which love songs are
their favorite. Here’s the list of the
French’s ten favorite love songs.

Interestingly, the French’s favorite love song is one by Edith
Piaf, but not her most famous international hit La vie en rose. Instead,
it’s the moving Hymne à l’amour. You can listen to it (and read the
lyrics) here.

And if ten French love songs isn’t enough, here’s a
hundred more!

I’d love to list the French’s other favorite love-themed things,
from movies, to books, to poetry, but unfortunately, no one seems to have done
a poll of those. So, why not discover some lovely French works about love by
doing an online search?

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Do you have a favorite French love song, poem, movie, book, or something else? Share the love in the comments!