adorer
/a.dɔ.ʁe/
The English verb "adore" is translated into French as adorer.
The verb adorer means to love with entire heart and soul.
Meaning: love with entire heart and soul (verb)
Which one should you use?
While adorer is often used for things or hobbies, aimer is the standard verb used for romantic or deep emotional love for people. Additionally, in colloquial French, adorer is often used to mean "to like very much" rather than the intense, soulful devotion implied by its literal meaning.
How do you pronounce it?
/a.dɔ.ʁe/
Did you know?
- In a romantic context, saying Je t'adore can actually be a way to 'friend-zone' someone. Because it is often perceived as more platonic or lighthearted than Je t'aime, it can signal that the speaker likes the person but is not in love with them.
- The verb adorer shares the same Latin root as the English word 'adore', which originally referred to worshiping a deity or a saint.
- While adorer is common in daily speech, in a formal religious context, it refers specifically to the 'latria', or the worship reserved for God alone, distinguishing it from 'dulia', the veneration of saints.
Examples in context
- J'adore voyager.I love traveling.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “adore” translations and entries adorer, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries adorer, CC BY-SA 4.0.
