je t'aime, mon chéri
The English phrase "I love you, honey" is translated into French as je t'aime, mon chéri.
This phrase is an expression of love used when speaking to a romantic partner. Common romantic nicknames used in place of "honey" include mon amour (my love), mon trésor (my treasure), mon cœur (my heart) and mon chéri or ma chérie (my darling).
What does it mean word for word?
The term mon chéri literally translates to "my dear" or "my darling" rather than the literal English word "honey".
Which one should you use?
You can choose different nicknames to express affection. Je t'aime, mon amour is an informal way to say "I love you, honey". You might also use mon cœur to mean "my heart" as a way to say "honey" or "sweetheart" in a romantic context.
How does it change in a sentence?
If you are speaking to a woman, you must use the feminine form je t'aime, ma chérie instead of the masculine je t'aime, mon chéri.
Did you know?
- In France, je t'aime is a powerful declaration of love, but adding bien to make it je t'aime bien actually weakens the meaning to 'I like you'.
- While many romantic nicknames sound very sweet, the word chéri actually has roots in Ottoman Turkish and Arabic, tracing back to the word for 'law' or 'religion'.
- While mon chéri is the masculine form, the possessive mon is used for some feminine nicknames too, such as mon amour and mon cœur, regardless of the partner's gender.
Examples in context
- Tu es tout pour moi, je t'aime, mon chéri.You are everything to me, I love you, honey.
- N'oublie jamais que je t'aime, mon chéri.Never forget that I love you, honey.
Example conversation
Chloé and Lucas are saying goodbye before a long trip.
- ChloéBon voyage, je t'aime, mon chéri.Have a good trip, I love you, honey.
- LucasMerci, je t'aime aussi, Chloé.Thank you, I love you too, Chloé.
- ChloéReviens-moi vite.Come back to me soon.
- LucasJe le ferai, promis.I will, I promise.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chéri, je, mon, CC BY-SA 4.0.
