141 weird and wonderful ways to say I love you in French
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If you’ve recently taken up French as a second language, you may have been drawn to it by its romantic allure. If that sounds like you, then you need to drop everything and focus on learning how to say I love you in French.
Even if you have other reasons for studying French, there is certainly much to gain from learning how to express love in French.
And even if you think you already know all about love en français, you might want to think again. French people tend to think very differently about love and when and how to say I love you.
On a related note, discover a wealth of romantic phrases and words about love in French here.
Otherwise, keep reading to learn 141 ways to say I love you in French plus plenty of cultural context that will keep you from making a faux pas next time you want to express your love (romantic or platonic!) to a French person!
We've created a beautiful French Essentials e-book to help you learn some basic French words and phrases. Download it here! Or, you can celebrate love everyday and download our free desktop wallpaper.
Table of contents
- Why learn how to say I love you in French
- How to say I love you in French
- Will you marry me in French
- Love quotes in French
- French love songs
- Romantic sayings in French
- FAQs about love in French
Why learn how to say I love you in French
Beyond confessing your love to your favorite person, learning how to express your feelings of love in French will help you in virtually every other part of your French-learning journey. Don’t believe us? Check out all the reasons why you should learn to talk about love in French:
- You’ll be able to date francophone people, and there is no better way to learn French than by communicating in it with your significant other!
- You’ll be able to watch romantic French movies and TV shows.
- You’ll be able to read the best romance fiction books in French, including classics like Madame Bovary and Emmanuelle.
- You'll be able to appropriately express your appreciation to your loved ones, without putting your foot in your mouth!
The French have very particular norms about when it is and isn’t appropriate to say I love you, so the last reason is actually one of the most important! It could save you from potential embarrassment at best, and even from ruining an important relationship at worst.
How to say I love you in French
If you’ve studied French for a little while already, you probably already know that the literal translation of I love you is je t’aime. However, you may or may not also know that je t’aime also means I like you. So, what gives?
Part of the beauty of learning a new language is that you also get to learn a new culture. That’s what makes studying a foreign language such a worthwhile experience. That’s why you need to go beyond just asking “How do you say I love you in French?” to really become proficient in French love.
When learning how to express love in French, it is imperative that you also spend some time studying the cultural norms and where and when it’s appropriate to say which phrases.
Keep reading to learn all about the French cultural sensitivities surrounding words and phrases related to love.
To a boyfriend, girlfriend and/or romantic love
Expressing love to a romantic partner is a big deal. It means you’re ready to be in a serious, committed relationship with them. So, be very careful next time you think about casually saying “je t’aime” to someone you’re not utterly in love with.
You’ll also find that French people don’t tend to outwardly express love with their friends and family. It’s not uncommon at all for mothers and fathers to never say je t’aime to their children.
This is in stark contrast to Spanish-speaking cultures, for example. If you’ve studied love in Spanish culture before, you’re probably aware that expressing love is an everyday thing for most people in Latin America. You can express your love to just about every close friend and family member, but that is not the case in France.
Instead, French people express platonic love with different phrases and little pet names for saying “my love.” We’ll cover all of that in a different section below, so for now let’s stick to what we’re here for: how to say I love you in French to a boyfriend, girlfriend, or partner.
In the table below, we’ll include many ways to express love to your significant other, from a simple I love you more in French, to more risky phrases like I love you handsome in French. Let’s get into it!
| English | French | IPA Spelling | Pronunciation |
| I love you | Je t’aime | ʒə tɛm | Zhe tem |
| I love you (formal or plural) | Je vous aime | ʒə vuz‿ ɛm | Zhe voos em |
| I love you too | Je t’aime aussi | ʒə tɛm‿ osi | Zhe tem oh-see |
| I love you so much | Je t’aime tellement | ʒə tɛm tɛlmɑ̃ | Zhe tem tel-muh |
| I love you so much | Je t’aime tant | ʒə tɛm tɑ̃ | Zhe tem tah |
| I love you so much | Je t’aime fort | ʒə tɛm fɔʁ | Zhe tem for |
| I love you more | Je t’aime plus | ʒə tɛm ply | Zhe tem ploos |
| I love you most | Je t’aime le plus | ʒə tɛm lə ply | Zhe tem luh ploos |
| I love you a lot | Je t’aime beaucoup | ʒə tɛm boku | Zhe tem bo-coo |
| I love you very much | Je t’aime très fort | ʒə tɛm tʁɛ fɔʁ | Zhe tem tray for |
| I love you deeply | Je t’aime profondément | ʒə tɛm pʁɔfɔ̃demɑ̃ | Zhe tem pro-fon-duh-man |
| I love you to the moon and back | Je t'aime plus que tout au monde | ʒə tɛm ply kə tut‿ o mɔ̃d | Zhe tem ploos kuh too oh mond |
| I love you more than the entire world | Je t’aime plus que le monde entier | ʒə tɛm ply kə lə mɔ̃d‿ ɑ̃tje | Zhe tem ploos kuh luh mond an-tee-eh |
| I love you with all my heart | Je t'aime de tout mon cœur | ʒə tɛm də tu mɔ̃ kœʁ | Zhe tem de too mon curr |
| I love you a hundred times a day | Je t’aime cent fois par jour | ʒə tɛm sɑ̃ fwa paʁ ʒuʁ | Zhe tem sen foo-ahs par zhoor |
| I love you handsome | Je t’aime, mon beau | ʒə tɛm | mɔ̃ bo | Zhe tem, mon boh |
| I love you beautiful | Je t’aime, ma belle | ʒə tɛm | ma bɛl | Zhe tem, ma belle |
| I love you more than life itself | Je t’aime plus que la vie | ʒə tɛm ply kə la vi | Zhe tem ploos kuh la vee |
| I love you more than anything | Je t’aime plus que tout | ʒə tɛm ply kə tu | Zhe tem ploos que too |
| I still love you | Je t’aime encore | ʒə tɛm‿ ɑ̃kɔʁ | Zhe tem an-core |
| I think I love you | Je crois que je t’aime | ʒə kʁwa kə ʒə tɛm | Zhe croo-ah kuh zhe tem |
| I’m crazy about you | Je suis fou de toi | ʒə sɥi fu də twa | Zhe soo-ee foo de too-ah |
| You’re driving me crazy (in a good way) | Je t’aime à la folie | ʒə tɛm‿ a la fɔli | Zhe tem a la foh-lee |
| I’m head over heels for you | Je suis fou de toi | ʒə sɥi fu də twa | Zhe soo-ee foo duh too-ah |
| I’ve fallen for you | Je suis tombé(e) amoureux(amoureusse) de toi | ʒə sɥi tɔ̃be amuʁø də twa | Zhe soo-ee tom-beh ah-mo-ruh de too-ah |
| I’m yours | Je suis à toi | ʒə sɥiz‿ a twa | Zhe soo-is a too-ah |
| Love of my life | L’amour de ma vie | lamuʁ də ma vi | La-moor duh ma vee |
| I’m thinking about you | Je pense à toi | ʒə pɑ̃s‿ a twa | Zhe pense a too-ah |
| I want to be with you | Je veux être avec toi | ʒə vø ɛtʁ‿ avɛk twa | Zhe vuh ehtr ah-vec too-ah |
| I can't wait to see you | Je suis impatient de te voir | ʒə sɥiz‿ ɛ̃pasjɑ̃ də tə vwaʁ | Zhe soo-is am-pa-see-an de te voo-are |
| I can’t live without you | Je ne peux pas vivre sans toi | ʒə nə pø pa vivʁə sɑ̃ twa | Zhe ne puh pa vee-vruh san too-ah |
| I need you | J’ai besoin de toi | ʒe bəzwɛ̃ də twa | Zhe beh-soo-ahn duh too-ah |
| I love you period | Je t’aime tout court | ʒə tɛm tu kuʁ | Zhe tem too coor |
| You are my other half | Tu es mon autre moitié | ty ɛ mɔ̃n‿ otʁə mwatje | Tu es mon ohtr moo-ah-tee-eh |
| Life would be empty without you | Tu laisserais un grand vide dans ma vie | ty lɛsʁɛ ɛ̃ ɡʁɑ̃ vid dɑ̃ ma vi | Too leh-seh-reh ah gran veed dan ma vee |
| My heart is yours | Mon cœur t'appartient | mɔ̃ kœʁ tapaʁtjɛ̃ | Moh curr ta-par-tee-ah |
| You are my everything | Tu es tout pour moi | ty ɛ tu puʁ mwa | Too es too poor moo-ah |
| I love you with all my soul | Je t’aime de toute mon âme | ʒə tɛm də tut mɔ̃n‿ am | Zhe tem de toot mon am |
| I love you from the bottom of my heart | Je t'aime du fond de mon cœur | ʒə tɛm dy fɔ̃ də mɔ̃ kœʁ | Zhe tem doo fon duh moh curr |
| Every day I love you more and more | Chaque jour je t’aime davantage | ʃak ʒuʁ ʒə tɛm də ply ɑ̃ ply | Shack zhoor zhe tem de ploos en ploos |
| You’re the best girlfriend in the world | Tu es la meilleure petite copine du monde | ty ɛ la mɛjœʁ pətit kɔpin dy mɔ̃d | Too eh la may-yoor petite coh-peen doo mond |
| You’re the best boyfriend in the world | Tu es le meilleur petit copain du monde. | ty ɛ lə mɛjœʁ pəti kɔpɛ̃ dy mɔ̃d ‖ | Too es le may-yoor puh-tee co-pah du mond |
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To a friend, family member or platonic love
Sometimes, you need to tell someone that you love them without implying that you’re in love with them. Luckily, there’s a very simple way to say I love you in French to a friend. Almost paradoxically, the most common way to do this in French is to add a bien after je t’aime.
If you already have a few French classes under your belt, you’re probably familiar with bien and how it usually means “good” or “well.” So, how does adding bien reduce the intensity rather than increase it?
Adding bien after a verb changes the meaning of bien to “enough” or “sufficiently.” So, almost cruelly, what you’re really saying when you say je t’aime bien is “I love you sufficiently”, with the hidden implication being “yet not enough to be romantic”.
It may sound rough, but rest assured that it doesn’t carry over any negative connotations in French. It’s totally acceptable to say je t’aime bien to your friends and family. Their feelings won’t be hurt, we promise!
You can also add a few words here and there to make things sound more natural. For example, instead of randomly blurting out that you love someone, you can say things like “goodnight, I love you” in French to avoid raising any eyebrows. Let us show you below.
| English | French | IPA Spelling | Pronunciation |
| I love you (platonically) | Je t’aime bien | ʒə tɛm bjɛ̃ | Zhe tem bee-ah |
| I love you mom | Je t’aime, maman | ʒə tɛm | mamɑ̃ | Zhe tem ma-mah |
| I love you dad | Je t’aime, papa | ʒə tɛm | papa | Zhe tem pa-pah |
| I love you grandma | Je t’aime, grand-mère | ʒə tɛm | ɡʁɑ̃mɛʁ | Zhe tem grah-mer |
| I love you grandpa | Je t’aime, grand-père | ʒə tɛm | ɡʁɑ̃pɛʁ | Zhe tem grah-per |
| I love you all | Je vous aime | ʒə vuz‿ ɛm | Zhe voos em |
| I love you guys | Je vous adore | ʒə vuz‿ adɔʁ | Zhe voos ah-dor |
| I love Taco Bell | J’aime Taco Bell | ʒɛm tako bɛl | Zhem Taco Bell |
| I love you as a friend | Je t’aime comme un ami | ʒə tɛm kɔm‿ ɛ̃n‿ ami | Zhe tem come oon ah-mee |
| I miss you | Tu me manques | ty mə mɑ̃k | Too muh mank |
| You look beautiful | Tu es très belle | ty ɛ tʁɛ bɛl | Too eh tray belle |
| You look handsome | Tu es très beau | ty ɛ tʁɛ bo | Too eh tray boh |
| You’re my soulmate | Tu es mon âme soeur | ty ɛ mɔ̃n‿ am sɔœʁ | Too eh moh ame sur |
| I like you just the way you are | Je t’aime comme tu es | ʒə tɛm kɔm ty ɛ | Zhe tem come too eh |
| We get along very well | On s’entend bien | ɔ̃ sɑ̃tɑ̃ bjɛ̃ | Oh san-tah bee-ah |
| I really like spending time with you | J’aime passer du temps avec toi | ʒɛm sa pase dy tɑ̃ avɛk twa | Zhem sa pa-seh doo teh avec too-ah |
| Goodnight, I love you | Bonne nuit, je t’aime | bɔn nɥi | ʒə tɛm | Bonn noo-ee zhe tem |
How to say “my love” in French
Another way to express affection to your loved ones is to give them a pet name. Instead of saying “my love,” you can call them by many other names that are context-specific.
Even if some of them do sound a little mean (like ma puce—my flea), rest assured that they are all affectionate and meant to show love. And speaking of pets, you might want to put your own spin on your terms of endearment and other ways to say my love in French by mastering the animals in French here.
Here are some of the most common affectionate pet names in French, and we’ve included their specific contexts as well!
| English | French | IPA Spelling | Pronunciation | Context |
| My love | Mon amour | mɔ̃n‿ amuʁ | Mon ah-moor | Used with lovers |
| My angel | Mon ange | mɔ̃n‿ ɑ̃ʒ | Mon anzh | Used with lovers |
| My heart | Mon coeur | mɔ̃ kɔœʁ | Moh kurr | Used with lovers |
| My duck | Mon canard | mɔ̃ kanaʁ | Moh kah-nar | Used with lovers |
| My sweetie | Mon doudou | mɔ̃ dudu | Moh doo-doo | Used with lovers |
| My sweet bun | Mon chou | mɔ̃ ʃu | Moh shoo | Used with lovers |
| My rabbit | Mon lapin | mɔ̃ lapɛ̃ | Moh lah-pah | Used with lovers |
| My baby | Mon bébé | mɔ̃ bebe | Moh beh-beh | Used with lovers |
| My darling | Mon chéri /Ma chérie | ma ʃeʁi | Ma sheh-ree | Can be used with lovers, friends, and family |
| My kitten | Mon chaton | mɔ̃ ʃatɔ̃ | Moh sha-toh | Can be used with lovers, friends, and family |
| My treasure | Mon trésore | mɔ̃ tʁezɔʁ | Moh treh-sore | Can be used with lovers, friends, and family |
| My flea | Ma puce | ma pus | Ma poos | Can be used with lovers, friends, and family |
| My little wolf | Mon petit loup | mɔ̃ lu | Moh loop | Used for men and boys |
| My chicken | Mon poulet | mɔ̃ pulɛ | Moh poo-lay | Used for men and boys |
| My man | Mon homme | mɔ̃n‿ ɔm | Mon om | Used for men and boys |
| My pomeranian | Mon loulou | mɔ̃ lulu | Moh loo-loo | Used for men and boys |
| My dove | Ma colombe | ma kɔlɔ̃b | Ma co-lomb | Used for women and little girls |
| My shrimp | Ma crevette | ma kʁəvɛt | Ma creh-vet | Used for women and little girls |
| My butterfly | Mon papillon | mɔ̃ papijɔ̃ | Moh pa-pee-yo | Used for women and little girls |
| My doe | Ma bichette | ma biʃɛt | Ma bi-shet | Used for women and little girls |
| My reason for living | Ma raison de vivre | ma ʁɛzɔ̃ də vivʁ | Ma reh-soh duh veevr | Can be used affectionately with children |
| My starry sky | Mon ciel étoilé | mɔ̃ sjɛl‿ etwale | Moh see-el eh-too-ah-leh | Can be used affectionately with children |
| My favorite | Mon préféré | mɔ̃ pʁefeʁe | Moh preh-feh-reh | Can be used affectionately with children |
| My love apple | Ma pomme d’amour | ma pɔm damuʁ | Ma pom dah-moor | Can be used affectionately with children |
How to say I like you in French
If you grew up in the United States, you probably have a very clear idea of the phases of dating. First you tell someone you like them, you ask them out on a date, and after a few weeks (or months, even!) you tell them you love them. At that point, things are very serious.
Well, there is no such thing in France. Just as we’ve covered how the difference between I love you and I like you in French is murky, so is the difference between these two phases when it comes to dating.
If you like someone and start to go out with them—that’s it! You’re dating. You’re in an exclusive relationship. There is no such thing as the “I like you” phase versus the “I love you” phase. Thus, there is no clear way to translate into French what you’d normally say (or do!) in English.
So, if you want to ask someone out, you’ll have to be very careful with your words. Be careful to never use je t’aime bien as a way to tell someone that you like them and want to get to know them. That implies that you’re not interested in them romantically.
You should instead ask someone out on a date if you want to tell them that you like them. You can say “tu veux sortir avec moi ?” if you want to be straightforward. You could also say “tu me plais” which translates roughly to “I fancy you,” just keep in mind that it may imply that you’re only physically attracted to them.
You could also say “Je te kiffe,” just keep in mind that it is a French slang term. You probably only want to use this if you’re very young or have a very laid back personality.
| English | French | IPA Spelling | Pronunciation |
| I like you (as a friend) | Je t’aime bien | ʒə tɛm bjɛ̃ | Zhe tem |
| I like you | Tu me plais | ty mə plɛ | Too muh pleh |
| I like you | Je suis amoureux de toi | ʒə sɥiz‿ amuʁø də twa | Zhe soo-is ah-mo-ruh duh too-ah |
| I adore you | Je t’adore | ʒə tadɔʁ | Zhe tah-dor |
| I think I’m falling for you | Je crois que je suis en train de tomber amoureux de toi | ʒə kʁwa kə ʒə sɥiz‿ ɑ̃ tʁɛ̃ də tɔ̃be amuʁø də twa | Zhe croo-ah kuh zhe soo-is an trahn duh tom-beh ah-mo-ruh duh too-ah |
| Would you like to go out with me? | Tu veux sortir avec moi ? | ty vø sɔʁtiʁ‿ avɛk mwa | | Too vuh sor-teer ah-vec moo-ah |
| I really like you | Je te kiffe | ʒə tə kif | Zhe tuh keef |
| I really like you a lot | Je te kiffe grave | ʒə tə kif ɡʁav | Zhe tuh keef grav |
| I like you too | Je te kiffe aussi | ʒə tə kif‿ osi | Zhe tuh keef oh-see |
| I like you too much | Je te kiffe trop | ʒə tə kif tʁo | Zhe tuh keef troh |
| I want to see you | Je veux te voir | ʒə vø tə vwaʁ | Zhe vuh tuh voo-ar |
| I like everything about you | J’aime tout de toi | ʒɛm tu də twa | Zhem too duh too-ah |
| You are very pretty | Tu es très belle | ty ɛ tʁɛ bɛl | Too eh treh bell |
| You are divine | Tu es divine | ty ɛ divin | Too eh dee-veen |
| You are spectacular | Tu es spectaculaire | ty ɛ spɛktakylɛʁ | Too eh spec-ta-coo-ler |
| I want you | Je te veux | ʒə tɑ̃ vø | Zhe ten vuh |
| I want you | J’ai envie de toi | ʒe ɑ̃vi də twa | Zhé ahn-vee duh too-ah |
Will you marry me in French
If you are absolutely certain that you’re ready to take things to the next level with your chéri(e), then you might be wondering how to pop the question.
If you’re planning to get down on one knee soon, you’ll definitely want to learn the following phrases.
| English | French | IPA Spelling | Pronunciation |
| Will you marry me? | Veux-tu m'épouser? | vøty məpuze | | Vuh-too meh-poo-seh |
| Would you like to marry me? | Voudrais-tu m'épouser? | vudʁɛty mepuze ‖ | Voo-dreh-too meh-poo-seh |
| Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife? | Me ferais-tu l'honneur de devenir ma femme? | vøty mə fɛʁ lɔnœʁ də dəvniʁ ma fam | | Vuh-too muh fehr loh-nur duh deh-veh-neer ma fam |
| Will you do me the honor of becoming my husband? | Me ferais-tu l'honneur de devenir mon homme? | vøty mə fɛʁ lɔnœʁ də dəvniʁ mɔ̃n‿ ɔm ‖ | Vuh-too muh fehr loh-nur duh deh-veh-neer mon hom |
| Will you make me the happiest man alive? | Veux-tu me rendre l'homme le plus heureux du monde ? | vøty mə ʁɑ̃dʁə lɔm lə ply øʁø dy mɔ̃d | | Vuh-too muh randr lom luh ploos uh-ruh doo mond |
| Will you make me the happiest woman alive? | Veux-tu me rendre la femme la plus heureuse du monde? | vøty mə ʁɑ̃dʁə la fam la ply øʁøz dy mɔ̃d ‖ | Vuh too muh randr la fem la ploos uh-roos doo mond |
| Do you accept to be my wife? | Acceptes-tu d'être ma femme ? | aksɛptəty dɛtʁə ma fam | | Ac-sept-too dehtre ma fam |
| Do you accept to be my husband? | Acceptes-tu d'être mon mari ? | aksɛptəty dɛtʁə mɔ̃ maʁi | | Ac-sept-too dehtre mon ma-ree |
| Marry me! | Épouse-moi! | epuzmwa | | Eh-poos moo-ah |
| Do you want to get married with me? | Veux-tu te marier avec moi ? | vøty tə maʁje avɛk mwa | | Vuh-too teh ma-ree-eh ah-vec moo-ah |
| Let’s get married | Marions-nous | maʁjɔ̃ nu | Ma-ree-oh noo |
Love quotes in French
Learning how to show love in French is only part of the battle. To be a truly romantic person, you'll need to know phrases and quotes about love in French. Here are some of our favorite love quotes that are sure to impress whoever you are trying to flatter.
| English | French | IPA Spelling | Pronunciation |
| To love is not to look at each other, it’s to look in the same direction together | Aimer, ce n'est pas se regarder l'un l'autre, c'est regarder ensemble dans la même direction | ɛme | sə nɛ pa sə ʁəɡaʁde lɛ̃ lotʁ | sɛ ʁəɡaʁde ɑ̃sɑ̃blə dɑ̃ la mɛm diʁɛksjɔ̃ | Eh-meh, seh neh pah seh reh-gar-deh luh lohtr, seh reh-gar-deh ah-sambl dah la mem dee-rec-see-oh |
| Life is a flower of which love is the honey | La vie est une fleur dont l’amour est le miel | la vi ɛt‿ yn flœʁ dɔ̃ lamuʁ‿ ɛ lə mjɛl | La vee eht oon fluhr doh lah-moor eh luh mee-elle |
| Living without loving isn’t living properly | Vivre sans aimer n’est pas proprement vivre | vivʁə sɑ̃z‿ ɛme nɛ pa pʁɔpʁəmɑ̃ vivʁ | Vee-vruh sans eh-meh neh pah pro-pruh-mah vee-vruh |
| There is no need for words between two hearts that love each other | Entre deux cœurs qui s’aiment, nul besoin de paroles | ɑ̃tʁə dø kœʁ ki sɛm | nyl bəzwɛ̃ də paʁɔl | En-truh duh kurr kee sem, nool beh-soo-ah duh pah-rol |
| There is but one happiness in life, and it’s to love and to be loved | Il n’y a qu’un bonheur dans la vie, c’est d’aimer et d’être aimé | il nj‿ a kɛ̃ bɔnœʁ dɑ̃ la vi | sɛ dɛme e dɛtʁ‿ eme | Eel nee ah koon bon-hur dah la vee, seh deh-mer eh deh-truh eh-meh |
| If you could look inside my heart, you’d see the place where I’ve put you | Si tu pouvais lire dans mon cœur, tu verrais la place où je t’ai mise ! | si ty puvɛ liʁ dɑ̃ mɔ̃ kœʁ | ty vɛʁɛ la plas‿ u ʒə te miz | | See too poo-veh leer dah moh kurr, too vuh-reh la plass oo zhe teh mees |
| Love is like the wind, we don’t know where it comes from | L’amour est comme le vent, nous ne savons pas d’où il vient | lamuʁ‿ ɛ kɔm lə vɑ̃ | nu nə savɔ̃ pa du il vjɛ̃ | Lah-moor eh come luh vah, noo nuh sah-voh pah doo eel vee-ah |
| When we are loved, we don’t doubt at all. When we love, we doubt everything | Quand on est aimé on ne doute de rien. Quand on aime, on doute de tout | kɑ̃ ɔ̃n‿ ɛt‿ eme ɔ̃ nə dut də ʁjɛ̃ ‖ kɑ̃ ɔ̃n‿ ɛm | ɔ̃ dut də tu | Kahnd on eht eh-meh on neh doot ree-uh. Kahnd oh ehm, oh doot duh toot |
| Love makes the sweetest pleasures and the most hurtful misfortunes of life | L’amour fait les plus grandes douceurs et les plus sensibles infortunes de la vie | lamuʁ fɛ le ply ɡʁɑ̃d dusœʁ‿ e le ply sɑ̃sibl‿ ɛ̃fɔʁtyn də la vi | Lah-moor feh leh ploos grand doo-soor eh leh ploos sah-seebl ah-for-toon duh la vee |
| I have loved until becoming mad. That which some call madness is to me the only reason to love | J’ai aimé jusqu’à atteindre la folie. Ce que certains appellent la folie, mais ce qui pour moi, est la seule façon d’aimer | ʒe eme ʒyska atɛ̃dʁə la fɔli ‖ sə kə sɛʁtɛ̃z‿ apɛl la fɔli | mɛ sə ki puʁ mwa | ɛ la sœl fasɔ̃ dɛme | Zhe tem zhus-kah ah-tandr la foh-lee. Say kuh ser-tah ah-pel la foh-lee, meh say kuh poor moo-ah eh la sool fah-soh deh-mer |
| I wish you to be loved madly | Je vous souhaite d’être follement aimée | ʒə vu swɛt dɛtʁə fɔlmɑ̃ eme | Zhe voo soo-eht deh-truh foll-meh eh-meh |
| But what love has bound together, even time cannot unbind | Mais ce qu’a lié l’amour même, le temps ne peut le délier | mɛ sə ka lje lamuʁ mɛm | lə tɑ̃ nə pø lə delje | Meh say kah lee-eh lah-moor mem, luh teh neh puh luh day-lee-eh |
| To live off of love and cold water | Vivre d’amour et d’eau fraîche | vivʁə damuʁ‿ e do fʁɛʃ | Veevr dah-moor eh doh fresh |
| Love is blind | L’amour rend aveugle | lamuʁ ʁɑ̃ avœɡl | Lah-moor rah ah-vuhgl |
| Nothing is small in love. Those who wait for the big occasions to prove their tenderness do not know how to love. | Rien n’est petit dans l’amour. Ceux qui attendent les grandes occasions pour prouver leur tendresse ne savent pas aimer | ʁjɛ̃ nɛ pəti dɑ̃ lamuʁ ‖ sø ki atɑ̃d le ɡʁɑ̃dz‿ ɔkazjɔ̃ puʁ pʁuve lœʁ tɑ̃dʁɛs nə sav pa ɛme | Ree-ah neh puh-tee dah lah-moor. Suh kee ah-tah leh grand oh-kah-see-oh poor proo-veh lur tahn-dress nuh sav pah eh-mer |
French love songs
One of the best things you can do to improve your language skills is listen to music. Listening to songs in your target language will train your brain to digest the language naturally without having to translate things in your head.
Plus, it can be a great way to memorize specific vocab. If you learn how to sing along to a couple of love songs, you’ll have memorized quite a bit of French love vocab!
Here are some of our favorite French love songs.
La vie en rose by Edith Piaf
Of course, no blog about French love would be complete without mentioning the quintessential French romantic song: la vie en rose. You must have heard of this song before, but now that you have some love vocabulary under your belt, you should be able to make out some of the lyrics.
With enough practice, you’ll be able to sing along to the song like a pro! Singing skills aside, this is a very fun song to belt out, even if you don’t have a perfect pitch.
Tout s’efface by Patrick Bruel
If you still have trouble fully understanding the difference between je t’aime and je t’aime bien, all you need to do is listen to Tout s’efface by Patrick Bruel. In the chorus, he solemnly sings:
Tu m’aimes bien, je t’aime tout court. La différence, s'appelle l’amour.
So, the difference between je t’aime bien and je t’aime is simply called: love.
Pour que tu m’aimes encore by Céline Dion
French-Canadian ballad powerhouse Céline Dion has an excellent discography all around. Pour que tu m’aimes encore, however, is a great song for those looking to reinforce vocabulary through music.
If you find that you like this song, check out the rest of Céline Dion’s French discography! You will definitely level up your French if you memorize a few of her songs.
Romantic sayings in French
If you’re already well-versed in talking about love in French, you'll want to know some additional ways to express love that don’t actually include the word amour or the verb aimer.
There’s so much more to love that goes beyond the word itself, so learning a few of these fabulously romantic phrases in French will take you far if you’re trying to win someone over. Many of these compliment specific body parts, so if you’re not super confident in your ability to talk about body parts in French, give our handy blog post a quick review.
| English | French | IPA Spelling | Pronunciation |
| I have fallen for your charm | Je suis tombé sous ton charme | ʒə sɥi tɔ̃be su tɔ̃ ʃaʁm | Zhe soo-ee toh-beh soo toh sharm |
| I care for you | Je tiens à toi | ʒə tjɛ̃ a twa | Zhe tee-ah ah too-ah |
| I belong to you, body and soul | Je t’appartiens corps et âme | ʒə tapaʁtjɛ̃ kɔʁ‿ e am | Zhe tah-par-tee-eh cor eh am |
| You have beautiful eyes | Tu as de beaux yeux | ty a də boz‿ jø | Too ah duh boz yuh |
| You are very cute | Tu es très jolie(e) | ty ɛ tʁɛ ʒɔli | Too eh tray yo-lee |
| I love your smile | J’adore ton sourire | ʒadɔʁ tɔ̃ suʁiʁ | Zha-dor toh soo-reer |
| You are cute | Tu es mignon/ Tu es mignonne | ty ɛ miɲɔ̃ | Too eh mee-nioh |
| I am burning (of love) for you | Je brûle pour toi | ʒə bʁyl puʁ twa | Zhe brook poor too-ah |
| Your eyes, I dream about them day and night | Tes yeux, j’en rêve jour et nuit | tez‿ jø | ʒɑ̃ ʁɛv ʒuʁ‿ e nɥi | Tes yuh, zheh rev zhoor eh noo-ee |
| The spirit is enriched by what it receives, the heart by what it gives | L’esprit s’enrichit de ce qu’il reçoit, le cœur de ce qu’il donne | lɛspʁi sɑ̃ʁiʃi də sə kil ʁəswa | lə kœʁ də sə kil dɔn | Les-pree sah-rish-ee duh suh kill ruh-soo-ah, luh kurr duh suh kill don |
| The heart has its reasons that reason itself does not know | Le cœur a ses raisons que la raison ne connaît point | lə kœʁ‿ a se ʁɛzɔ̃ kə la ʁɛzɔ̃ nə kɔnɛ pwɛ̃ | Luh kurr ah seh reh-soh kuh la reh-son nuh co-neh pah |
| We don’t see well except for when we see through our heart | On ne voit bien qu’avec le cœur | ɔ̃ nə vwa bjɛ̃ kavɛk lə kœʁ | Oh nuh voo-ah bee-ah kah-vec luh kurr |
| The only beautiful eyes are those that look at you with tenderness | Les seuls beaux yeux sont ceux qui vous regardent avec tendresse | le sœl boz‿ jø sɔ̃ sø ki vu ʁəɡaʁd‿ avɛk tɑ̃dʁɛs | Leh sol boz yuh soh suh kee voo reh-gard ah-vec tah-dress |
| She had the force of her heart in her eyes | Elle avait dans les yeux, la force de son cœur | ɛl‿ avɛ dɑ̃ lez‿ jø | la fɔʁsə də sɔ̃ kœʁ | Elle ah-veh dah les yuh, la fors duh soh kurr |
| Who loves best forgets slowly | Qui bien aime, tard oublie | kə bjɛ̃ ɛm | taʁ‿ ubli | Kuh bee-ah em, tar oo-blee |
FAQs about love in French
Do French people not say “I love you”?
Of course they do. Only very rarely. The French are known for being physically affectionate with their spouses in public, so why are they shy to profess their love for each other in words?
French culture can be very direct for many things. However, it can also be very roundabout for many others. Saying “I love you” to your spouse, partner, and even children is something that doesn’t happen nearly as often as you’d expect it to if you grew up in the United States.
Part of the reason why they have to take a circuitous route to arrive at the famous three words is because they don’t have a verb that strictly means “love.” Of course, as you know, the verb aimer can mean ‘love.’ But it can also mean ‘like.’
So, when you hear a French person say something like “J’aime le sport”, they’re not exaggerating by saying that they love sports. They simply mean that they like sports, which is the other meaning of the verb aimer.
So, French people tend to express love in alternative ways, like with small gestures and by using cute pet names to refer to their loved ones.
What does “J’adore” mean in French?
J’adore translates literally to “I adore.” However, in French, it’s really used more as a slight step-down from j’aime when you want to say that you like something.
For example, let’s say you really enjoy going to the movies, but you wouldn’t go as far as saying that you love cinema. In this case, you can say j’adore le cinéma. It’s sort of an intermediate level between j’aime bien le cinéma and j’aime le cinéma.
How do you reply to “Je t’aime” in French?
If the love is requited, you can respond with je t’aime aussi or moi aussi, je t’aime.
However, if you don’t love the person back, or are simply not ready to utter those words, we got you. Here are some ways you can respond when someone says je t’aime to you:
| English | French | IPA Spelling | Pronunciation |
| I like hearing you say that | J’adore t’entendre dire ça | ʒadɔʁ tɑ̃tɑ̃dʁə diʁ sa | Zha-door tahn-tahn-druh deer sa |
| Are you serious? | Vraiment ? | vʁɛmɑ̃ | | vreh-meh |
| You’re driving me crazy | Tu me rends fou/folle | ty mə ʁɑ̃ fɔl | Too muh rahn foll |
| I am touched, but I don’t feel that way | Je suis touché(e), mais je ne me sens pas comme ça | ʒə sɥi tuʃe | mɛ ʒə nə mə sɑ̃s pa kɔm sa | Zhe soo-ees too-sheh, meh zhe nuh muh sah pah come sah |
| I would have loved for things to be different, but I don’t love you back | J'aurais aimé que les choses soient autrement, mais je ne t’aime pas en retour | ʒoʁɛ eme kə le ʃoz swa otʁəmɑ̃ | mɛ ʒə nə tɛm pa ɑ̃ ʁətuʁ | Zho-ree-eh eh-may kuh leh shos swa oh-tray-meh, meh zhe nuh tem pah eh ruh-toor |
Now you’re ready to conquer love, in French!
And that’s a wrap! Now you’re familiar with well over a hundred ways to declare affection and adoration in French (141, to be exact!). From things like I love you very much in French, to more risky phrases like asking someone to marry you in French, you’re now ready to conquer all romantic endeavors!
We hope you found this blog helpful! If you’re a hopeless romantic, now you won’t be stuck wondering “how do you say I love you too in French?” Now you’ve got all the tools you need to navigate any romantic endeavors in French.
As always, feel free to contact us if you have any questions about learning French or any other language. You can also check out our French blog for many more resources on learning French.
Thanks for reading through to the end! Berlitz vous aime!
