je t'apprécie
To tell someone I appreciate you in French, meaning you like or value them as a person, say je t'apprécie.
je t'apprécie expresses that you like someone's character or personality. If you want to thank someone for what they did rather than praise who they are, French uses gratitude phrases such as Je te remercie beaucoup (I thank you very much) or Merci infiniment (thank you immensely).
Which one should you use?
je t'apprécie is about liking someone as a person. It is not a declaration of love. French keeps a separate phrase for romantic love or deep affection.
How does it change in a sentence?
Use je vous apprécie instead of je t'apprécie with a stranger, a superior or a group of people. To say you appreciate a third person, use je l'apprécie.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers sometimes put the pronoun after the verb and say j'apprécie toi. In French the object pronoun comes before the verb, so say je t'apprécie.
Did you know?
- Using je t'apprécie can actually be a way to 'friendzone' someone in France. Because it explicitly values a person's character without the romantic weight of je t'aime, it is often used to signal that the feeling is purely platonic.
- While je t'apprécie is warm, the French often use the phrase je t'aime bien to express the same level of platonic liking. Adding the word bien (well) actually weakens je t'aime (I love you) to mean 'I like you'.
- If you use j'apprécie when talking to a chef about a dish, you are not expressing gratitude. Instead, you are acting as a critic and judging the objective quality of the food.
Examples in context
- Tu sais déjà à quel point je t'apprécie, mais je ne peux pas t'épouser. Je suis désolé, Sami.You already know how I appreciate you, but I can't marry you. I'm sorry, Sami.Here je t'apprécie shows warm regard for someone without romantic commitment.Tatoeba #6386522 by Scorpionvenin14, translation #6386490 by OsoHombre
- Je vous suis reconnaissant(e) pour votre soutien inconditionnel tout au long de ce projet.I am grateful to you for your unwavering support throughout this project.
- Je t'apprécie énormément.I appreciate you so much.
- Sache que je t'apprécie beaucoup.Know that I appreciate you a lot.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking after a long, helpful conversation.
- LéaMerci pour tes conseils, Gabriel.Thank you for your advice, Gabriel.
- GabrielDe rien, je suis toujours là pour toi.You're welcome, I'm always here for you.
- LéaJe t'apprécie vraiment beaucoup.I really appreciate you a lot.
- GabrielC'est gentil, Léa. Moi aussi.That's kind, Léa. Me too.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
