j'aime faire
The phrase "I like to do" in French is expressed as j'aime faire.
j'aime faire is used to express a general preference or enjoyment for performing a specific activity.
Which one should you use?
While the verb aimer can mean both "to love" and "to like," when used in the context of an activity such as j'aime faire, it specifically expresses a general preference or enjoyment.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using this phrase, the verb faire remains in its infinitive form because it follows the conjugated verb aime.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly try to conjugate the second verb. Instead of using a conjugated form like je fais, you must use the infinitive faire.
Did you know?
- While aimer means 'to like' for activities, using it for a person can be ambiguous. To specify 'I love you' in a romantic sense, French speakers use je t'aime, but adding 'bien' to make je t'aime bien actually weakens it to 'I like you' as a friend.
- The verb faire is so versatile that it is used to express the weather. Instead of saying 'it is sunny', French speakers say il fait beau, literally 'it makes beautiful'.
- The verb faire in j'aime faire shares its DNA with the English word 'fact', as both come from the Latin 'facere', meaning 'to do' or 'to make'.
Examples in context
- C'est ce que j'aime faire.That's what I like to do.This sentence shows how to identify a specific activity as something you like to do using j'aime faire.Tatoeba #3602350 by sacredceltic, translation #3591653 by CK
- Qu'est-ce que j'aime faire ?What do I like to do?This sentence is used to pose a question about what you like to do using j'aime faire.Tatoeba #4854837 by Djino, translation #4848406 by Balamax
- J'aime faire ça.I like to do that.This sentence demonstrates how to say you like to do a specific thing using j'aime faire.Tatoeba #5825524 by Aiji, translation #5859773 by CK
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing their weekend hobbies at a cafe.
- NathanQu'est-ce que tu aimes faire le dimanche ?What do you like to do on Sundays?
- ChloéJ'aime faire de la randonnée en forêt.I like to go hiking in the forest.
- NathanC'est super, j'aime faire du sport aussi.That's great, I like to do sports too.
- ChloéOn peut y aller ensemble un jour !We can go together one day!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries faire, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
