j'aime le café
To say I like coffee in French, use j'aime le café. It states a general liking for coffee as a drink.
j'aime le café expresses a general preference for coffee, not a liking for one particular cup.
What does it mean word for word?
j'aime is je (I) joined to aime (like or love), and le café means the coffee.
How does it change in a sentence?
French needs the definite article le before café when you talk about coffee in general, even though English drops the article. j'aime is a contraction, because aime begins with a vowel.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often leave out the article and say j'aime café. Always keep le and say j'aime le café.
Did you know?
- The verb aimer is used for both 'like' and 'love', but adding an adverb like bien can actually weaken the meaning from 'love' to 'like'.
- In many French cafés, ordering a café without specifying the type will automatically bring you a small espresso, not a filtered American-style coffee.
- The word café actually traces its ancestry back to the Arabic word qahwa, which originally referred to a type of wine or a stimulating drink.
Examples in context
- J'aime le café brûlant.I like coffee hot.This adds a detail about how the coffee should be, very hot.Tatoeba #3634684 by sacredceltic, translation #62235 by CK
- J'aime le café et des toasts au petit-déjeuner.I like coffee and toast for breakfast.Here j'aime le café is followed by a second item, toast, for breakfast.Tatoeba #5994679 by Aiji, translation #277775 by CK
- J'aime le café.I like coffee.This is the simplest way to state the phrase on its own.Tatoeba #916677 by Scott, translation #3524072 by robbieheslop
- J'adore vraiment le café.I really adore coffee.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Chloé are talking about their favorite drinks.
- GabrielEst-ce que tu veux un thé, Chloé ?Do you want a tea, Chloé?
- ChloéNon merci, j'aime le café.No thank you, I like coffee.
- GabrielMoi aussi, j'en bois tous les jours.Me too, I drink it every day.
- ChloéC'est la meilleure boisson du matin.It is the best morning drink.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries café, le, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
