j'aime les hamburgers
The English phrase "I like burgers" can be said in French as j'aime les hamburgers.
This phrase is used to express a general preference for hamburgers.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase j'aime is a contraction of je (I) and aime (like/love), which occurs because aime begins with a vowel.
Which one should you use?
While hamburgers is the full word, it is very common in casual French to shorten it to burgers, as seen in the phrase les burgers.
How does it change in a sentence?
In French, when expressing a general preference for a category of things, you must use the definite article les rather than using no article as in English. Also, note that j'aime is the contracted form of je and aime.
Did you know?
- In a surprising twist of logic, adding beaucoup (a lot) to j'aime actually makes the statement less intense. While j'aime can mean 'I love', j'aime beaucoup is typically translated as 'I like very much'.
- In France, ordering a burger often results in a meal served with frites (fries) by default, as they are culturally viewed as an inseparable pair.
- The word les in your phrase is a descendant of the Latin demonstrative pronouns illōs and illās, which were originally used to point out specific people or things.
Examples in context
- J'aime les hamburgers avec du fromage.I like hamburgers with cheese.
- En général, j'aime les hamburgers.In general, I like hamburgers.
- J'aime les hamburgers, mais pas les frites.I like hamburgers, but not fries.
Example conversation
Hugo and Chloé are deciding what to eat for dinner.
- HugoOn mange quoi ce soir, Chloé ?What are we eating tonight, Chloé?
- ChloéJe ne sais pas, tu veux quoi ?I don't know, what do you want?
- HugoMoi, j'aime les hamburgers.I like burgers.
- ChloéC'est une bonne idée !That's a good idea!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries les, CC BY-SA 4.0.
