Je vous aime, les gars
The English phrase "I love you guys" is translated into French as Je vous aime, les gars.
This is an informal expression used to tell a group of people that you care about them deeply.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of Je (I), vous (you – plural), aime (love) and les gars (the guys).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Parisian French, you might hear the slangier Je vous kiffe grave, les mecs, which means "I really love you guys, dudes".
How does it change in a sentence?
In this phrase, the pronoun vous is used to address a group of people, rather than a single person.
Did you know?
- The slang word kiffe in Je vous kiffe grave comes from the Arabic word kif, which originally referred to the pleasure derived from smoking cannabis.
- The word gars has a surprising ancestor in the Early Medieval Latin word garciō, which originally referred to a young man or a servant.
- While 'les gars' is common in English, using 'les gars' in French to address a group can sometimes feel more like addressing a group of 'fellows' or 'lads' than a deep expression of affection.
Examples in context
- Je vous aime, les gars.I love you guys.
- Sérieusement, je vous aime, les gars.Seriously, I love you guys.
- Vous êtes mes meilleurs amis, je vous aime, les gars.You are my best friends, I love you guys.
Example conversation
Léa is saying goodbye to Lucas and their friends.
- LéaJe vais partir maintenant, je vous aime, les gars !I'm going to leave now, I love you guys!
- LucasOn t'aime aussi, Léa !We love you too, Léa!
- LéaÀ demain alors !See you tomorrow then!
- LucasÀ demain, fais attention !See you tomorrow, be careful!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries gars, je, les, vous, CC BY-SA 4.0.
