How to Say “I Care About You” in French

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je tiens à toi
The English phrase 'I care about you' is translated into French as je tiens à toi.
This phrase is used to tell someone that they are important to you and that you value them. While it expresses care and attachment, it is often seen as less intense than je t'aime, which is used to specifically denote deep familial or romantic love.

What does it mean word for word?

Literally, the phrase translates to 'I hold to you' or 'I cling to you'.

Which one should you use?

Tu comptes beaucoup pour moi ('You mean a lot to me') can be used both romantically and platonically. For a more poetic sentiment, you might use Tu as une place spéciale dans mon cœur ('You have a special place in my heart').

Is it said differently in some regions?

In Canadian French, specifically in Quebec, the expression Je tiens à toi en maudit can be used to mean 'I care about you so much'.

How does it change in a sentence?

When speaking to someone formally or to a group of people, you must change the pronoun toi to vous, resulting in je tiens à vous.

What mistakes should you avoid?

Avoid using je me soucie de toi to mean you care about someone's well-being. In French, se soucier de is more closely related to 'to worry about' or 'to be concerned with' a specific problem.

Did you know?

  • In Quebec, the word maudit in je tiens à toi en maudit is technically a swear word meaning 'damned', but here it acts as an intensifier similar to 'insanely'.
  • If you were to use the word compter instead of tenir, such as in tu comptes pour moi, you are using a verb that also means 'to count' or 'to calculate'.
  • If you say je tiens à ce que… followed by a verb, the phrase stops being about affection and instead expresses a strong demand or a requirement that something happen.

Examples in context

  • Je tiens à toi.
    I care about you.
    Tatoeba #140087 by sacredceltic, translation #2307957 by CK
  • Chère amie, je vous porte dans mon cœur et je serai là pour vous soutenir
    Dear friend, I care about you, and I will be here to support you
  • Mon ami, je tiens vraiment à toi et je serai toujours là pour toi
    My friend, I genuinely care about you, and I will always be there for you
  • Je tiens à toi, sache-le.
    I care about you, know that.
  • Sache que je tiens à toi.
    Know that I care about you.

Example conversation

Nathan and Chloé are having a heart-to-heart conversation at a cafe.

  1. Nathan

    Tu es très importante pour moi.
    You are very important to me.
  2. Chloé

    C'est gentil, Nathan.
    That is kind, Nathan.
  3. Nathan

    Je tiens à toi, Chloé.
    I care about you, Chloé.
  4. Chloé

    Merci, ça me touche beaucoup.
    Thank you, that touches me a lot.

Sources

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Corey Brett
Corey BrettHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.
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