j'aime
/ʒ‿ɛm/
In French, the phrase for "I like to" is j'aime.
j'aime is used to express that you enjoy performing a particular activity. While j'aime can also mean "I love" when referring to people or things, it is the standard way to express "I like to" when it is followed immediately by an infinitive verb.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase j'aime is a contraction of je (I) and aime (like/love).
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase j'aime is a contraction of je and aime.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʒ‿ɛm/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly try to insert the word à or de after j'aime before an infinitive, but it is not required.
When do people say it?
If you want to express that you are crazy about something, you might use the informal phrase Je kiffe faire cela. To say "I love that, it's my thing!", you can say J'adore ça, c'est mon dada !
Did you know?
- The slang term kiffer, used in the phrase Je kiffe, is derived from the Arabic word kif, which refers to the pleasure derived from smoking cannabis.
- In many French contexts, if you want to say you like a person rather than an activity, you must add a nuance. Saying Je l'aime means 'I love him/her', whereas Je l'aime bien means 'I like him/her'.
- The word aime comes from the Latin amare, which is the same root for the English word 'amorous'.
Examples in context
- J'aime jouer au golf.I like to play golf.This sentence shows how to use j'aime with an activity.Tatoeba #389535 by trotter, translation #56352 by CK
- J'aime faire la fête.I like to party.Tatoeba #5857658 by Aiji, translation #5856383 by CK
- J'aime faire du rock.I like to rock.Tatoeba #7104140 by Micsmithel, translation #6467803 by Eccles17
- J'aime nager.I like to swim.
- J'aime chanter.I like to sing.
- J'aime danser.I like to dance.
- J'aime énormément lire.I immensely like to read.
- J'aime beaucoup danser.I really enjoy dancing.
- J'aime jouer au football quand j'ai du temps libre.I like playing soccer when I have free time.
- J'aime beaucoup regarder des films d'action ou d'aventure.I really enjoy watching action or adventure movies.
- 197 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Nathan are discussing their hobbies at a cafe.
- ChloéJ'aime lire des livres.I like to read books.
- NathanMoi, j'aime marcher dans la forêt.Me, I like to walk in the forest.
- ChloéC'est très relaxant.It is very relaxing.
- NathanOui, c'est vrai.Yes, it's true.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry j'aime, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
