j'aime lire
To say "I like reading" in French, you say j'aime lire.
The phrase j'aime lire is used to indicate that the speaker enjoys the activity of reading books.
Meaning: indicates that the speaker likes reading books (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a literal combination of je (I), aime (like/love) and lire (to read).
Which one should you use?
In English, you might use the gerund "reading," but in French, you use the infinitive lire after the verb aimer.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb aimer must be conjugated to the first person singular j'aime to match the subject je. You can also express the same sentiment by using the noun la lecture (reading) instead of the verb, resulting in j'aime la lecture.
Did you know?
- While j'aime lire is a general statement, French speakers often use the phrase je suis un rat de bibliothèque to describe someone who loves reading. This translates literally to 'I am a library rat'.
- In French, the word aimer can be tricky because while j'aime lire means 'I like reading', if you use it for a person, like je l'aime, it shifts from 'I like him' to 'I love him'.
- The French word for 'book' is livre, which is a close relative of lire and also shares its name with the historical French currency, the livre.
Examples in context
- J'aime lire des livres.I like reading books.This sentence shows how to use j'aime lire when specifying what you read, such as books.Tatoeba #127542 by sysko, translation #261749 by CK
- J'aime lire les romans américains.I like reading American novels.This sentence shows how to use j'aime lire when specifying a genre, such as American novels.Tatoeba #7397 by sacredceltic, translation #253002 by CN
- J'aime lire de la littérature de science-fiction.I like reading sci-fi literature.This sentence shows how to use j'aime lire when specifying a genre, such as sci-fi literature.Tatoeba #1098664 by sacredceltic, translation #7803147 by sharris123
- J'adore lire! J'ai l'impression de voyager à travers les mots.I love reading! I feel like I'm traveling through words.
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Léa are at a cafe together.
- LucasQu'est-ce que tu fais pendant ton temps libre ?What do you do during your free time?
- LéaJ'aime lire, et toi ?I like reading, and you?
- LucasMoi, j'aime beaucoup le sport.Me, I like sports a lot.
- LéaC'est super, Lucas !That's great, Lucas!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I like reading” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries lire, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
