Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| je t'aime | /ʒə t‿ɛm/ | informal, singular |
| je vous aime | /ʒə vu.z‿ɛm/ | formal, plural |
| je t'adore | informal, singular | |
| je vous adore | formal, plural |
je t'aime is the standard way to express romantic love. It is also said to close family, as a child might say to a parent.
What does it mean word for word?
je means I, t' is the shortened form of te, meaning you and aime means love. The pronoun comes before the verb, so the word order is literally I you love.
Which one should you use?
je t'adore is often a slightly lighter alternative to je t'aime, used in the early stages of romantic interest or to show strong affection for friends. Adding beaucoup to je t'aime actually weakens it to mean I like you very much in a friendly sense. Je vous aime de tout mon cœur means I love you with all my heart.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
je t'aime and je t'adore are informal and used with one person. je vous aime and je vous adore are formal or plural.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Canadian French, Je t'aime beaucoup en maudit. is an informal way to say I really, really love you.
How does it change in a sentence?
Use je vous aime when you express love to more than one person, or when you address a single person with the formal vous.
How do you pronounce it?
je t'aime is pronounced /ʒə t‿ɛm/, with the t joined straight onto the vowel of the verb.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not add beaucoup to make the phrase stronger. It has the opposite effect and turns love into liking.
Did you know?
- In Quebec, the phrase Je t'aime beaucoup en maudit serves as an informal, much stronger way to say 'I really, really love you'.
- The word vous used in je vous aime is a distant relative of the Russian word вы (vy) and the Italian voi. All three languages share a common ancestor in the Proto-Indo-European family.
- While je t'aime is the gold standard for romance, French speakers often use the phrase mon cœur (my heart) as a nickname for a loved one when saying it.
Examples in context
- PS : Je t'aime.PS: I love you.Je t'aime can close a letter after PS.Tatoeba #848270 by sacredceltic, translation #1357022 by sacredceltic
- Mais je t'aime !But I love you!Mais je t'aime ! insists on the feeling.Tatoeba #10087314 by Rovo, translation #10087190 by ddnktr
- Papa, je t'aime !Daddy, I love you!Papa, je t'aime ! shows the phrase used with a parent.Tatoeba #5230593 by michelnialon, translation #2075226 by Vened
- 171 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Hugo are saying goodbye after a date.
- EmmaC'était une soirée magnifique, Hugo.It was a magnificent evening, Hugo.
- HugoMoi aussi, je suis très heureux.Me too, I am very happy.
- EmmaJe t'aime énormément.I love you very much.
- HugoJe t'aime aussi, Emma.I love you too, Emma.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I love you” translations and entries je t'aime, je vous aime, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries je, vous, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
