aime
aime is the French word for love or like.
The verb aimer can be used directly with nouns to express liking or loving a specific thing or person. For example, Je t'aime means I love you, while Je vous aime means I love you (plural/formal). In French, 'aimer' can mean both 'to love' and 'to like', but the intensity is often determined by the context or the addition of adverbs.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form aime is the present tense conjugation for both je (I) and il/elle/on (he/she/one). When using the subject tu (you), the form changes to aimes by adding an s.
Did you know?
- French has a specific term, le coup de foudre, to describe the sudden 'lightning strike' of falling in love, a much more dramatic image than the English 'love at first sight'.
- Adding the adverb bien to Je t'aime actually weakens the sentiment, turning 'I love you' into 'I like you very much'.
- In French, there is a distinct difference between aimer and être amoureux. While aime describes the feeling, être amoureux specifically describes the state of being 'in love'.
Examples in context
- J'aime bien cette chanson.I quite like this song.
- J'kiffe trop ce film.I love this movie so much.
- J'aime le chocolat.I love chocolate.
- J'aime danser.I love to dance.
- Elle aime beaucoup ce film.She loves this movie a lot.
- Mon frère aime le chocolat.My brother loves chocolate.
- Il aime marcher dans la forêt.He loves walking in the forest.
Example conversation
Chloé and Lucas are talking about their hobbies.
- ChloéQu'est-ce que Lucas aime faire ?What does Lucas like to do?
- LucasJ'aime jouer au football.I love playing football.
- ChloéC'est super, j'aime aussi le sport.That's great, I also love sports.
- LucasOn pourrait jouer ensemble !We could play together!
