j'adore les livres
To say "I love books" in French, use j'adore les livres.
This phrase is used to express a strong liking or passion for reading books. You might also use the related term Les romans to specifically refer to "novels".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "I adore the books". The part j'adore comes from the verb adorer conjugated in the first person singular present tense, meaning "I love" or "I adore". The part les livres means "the books".
Which one should you use?
While you can say j'aime les livres to mean "I like books", the form j'adore les livres is stronger and more commonly used to express a passion or deep love for reading.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase j'adore les livres, the definite article les is used because French requires an article when expressing a general preference for a category of things.
Did you know?
- In French, the verb aimer can mean both 'to like' and 'to love'. To distinguish between them, adding an adverb like beaucoup actually weakens the meaning to 'like a lot', while aimer on its own used with a person often means 'to be in love'.
- France is home to the 'bouquiniste' tradition, where second-hand booksellers sell their wares from iconic green metal boxes along the Seine in Paris.
- If you want to sound more casual when talking about books, you can use the slang word bouquins instead of livres. Saying j'adore les bouquins is a common way for native speakers to refer to their reading habits in a relaxed setting.
Examples in context
- J'adore les livres.I love books.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase j'adore les livres.Tatoeba #4592169 by sacredceltic, translation #2883884 by Hybrid
- J'adore les livres de science-fiction.I love science fiction books.
- Comme j'adore les livres, je lis tout le temps.Since I love books, I read all the time.
Example conversation
Emma and Gabriel are visiting a bookstore together.
- EmmaRegarde toutes ces histoires, j'adore les livres !Look at all these stories, I love books!
- GabrielMoi aussi, c'est mon endroit préféré.Me too, it is my favorite place.
- EmmaTu veux m'aider à choisir un roman ?Do you want to help me choose a novel?
- GabrielOui, avec plaisir, Emma.Yes, with pleasure, Emma.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
