j'aime écouter de la musique
In French, the phrase for "I like listening to music" is j'aime écouter de la musique.
This phrase is used to express that you enjoy the activity of listening to music.
Which one should you use?
While English uses the gerund "listening," French uses the infinitive écouter after the verb aimer.
How does it change in a sentence?
In French, the verb aimer (to like) is followed by the infinitive écouter (to listen) without needing a preposition between the two verbs. The phrase also uses the partitive article de la because musique is an uncountable noun in this context, which translates to "some music".
Did you know?
- The verb écouter is used for both 'listening to music' and 'obeying' a person. To écouter ses parents means to follow their advice or obey them.
- While écouter means to listen, French has a medical term ausculter that comes from the same Latin root. This specific word is used when a doctor listens to a patient's chest with a stethoscope.
- In French, adding the word passionnément to j'aime suggests a romantic or obsessive level of liking that goes far beyond a simple hobby.
Examples in context
- J'aime écouter de la musique.I like listening to music.Tatoeba #6762 by TRANG, translation #256342 by CK
- J'aime écouter de la musique, surtout du jazz.I like listening to music, especially jazz.Tatoeba #12199417 by lbdx, translation #256341 by CK
- J'aime écouter de la musique pour me détendre.I like listening to music to relax.
Example conversation
Léa and Nathan are sitting in a café.
- LéaQu'est-ce que tu fais pendant ton temps libre ?What do you do in your free time?
- NathanJ'aime écouter de la musique toute la journée.I like listening to music all day.
- LéaMoi aussi, c'est très relaxant.Me too, it is very relaxing.
- NathanQuel genre de musique préfères-tu ?What genre of music do you prefer?
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
