elle me plaît
The French phrase for "I like her" is elle me plaît.
This phrase is used to express a romantic or physical attraction toward a woman.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, the phrase translates to "she pleases me".
Which one should you use?
While elle me plaît focuses on attraction, je l'aime expresses deep romantic love. If you want to say you like her in a platonic or friendly sense, you should use je l'aime bien. Adding bien actually weakens the phrase to mean friendship, whereas elle me plaît remains focused on attraction.
How does it change in a sentence?
In this construction, the subject is the person being liked. Therefore, the verb must agree with the person being liked (elle) rather than the person feeling the attraction (me).
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use je l'aime to mean "I like her," but in French, this typically implies much stronger romantic love.
Did you know?
- While elle me plaît describes attraction, the word plaire also describes things that are aesthetically pleasing or fashionable. You can use it to say a dress or a piece of furniture 'pleases' you without any romantic connotation.
- The word me in this phrase evolved from the Latin 'mihi', which was the dative form used for 'to me'. This is why the phrase functions more like 'she is pleasing to me' than 'I please her'.
- In French, the verb plaire is often used in the negative to politely decline a romantic advance. Saying tu ne me plais pas is a direct way to tell someone there is no spark.
Examples in context
- Elle me plaît. Elle est si belle !I like her. She's so beautiful!This sentence is useful for showing how to express that someone is beautiful while stating you like her using elle me plaît.Tatoeba #1966796 by sacredceltic, translation #1966597 by Spamster
- Je l'apprécie beaucoup.I appreciate her a lot.
- J'ai un fort penchant pour elle.I have a strong inclination for her.
- J'aime bien cette fille.I like this girl.
- Je la kiffe.I'm into her.
- Elle me plaît beaucoup.I find her really attractive.
- Je suis fan d'elle.I'm a fan of hers.
- Depuis le début, elle me plaît.I have liked her since the beginning.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Léa are talking about a new coworker.
- GabrielTu as vu la nouvelle fille ?Did you see the new girl?
- LéaOui, pourquoi ?Yes, why?
- GabrielElle me plaît vraiment.I really like her.
- LéaAh, je vois !Ah, I see!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries elle, me, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
