Je t'aime, ma fille
The English phrase "I love you, my daughter" is translated into French as Je t'aime, ma fille.
This phrase is used as an expression of affection spoken by a parent to their daughter.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, the phrase translates to "I you love, my daughter" because the object pronoun t' (you) precedes the verb aime (love).
Which one should you use?
If you were speaking to a son instead of a daughter, you would replace ma fille with mon fils.
How does it change in a sentence?
In this phrase, t' is a contraction of te, which is the unstressed object pronoun for "you" used specifically before a word starting with a vowel.
Did you know?
- While Je t'aime is the standard phrase for 'I love you', adding the word beaucoup to say Je t'aime beaucoup can actually make the sentiment feel less intense or more platonic.
- In French, the word belle meaning 'beautiful' is used to create the terms for 'daughter-in-law' belle-fille and 'son-in-law' beau-fils.
- In certain slang contexts, the word fille can be used to refer to a prostitute rather than a daughter. This stems from historical euphemisms like fille de joie, meaning 'girl of joy'.
Examples in context
- Je t'aime, ma fille.I love you, my daughter.
- N'oublie jamais que je t'aime, ma fille.Never forget that I love you, my daughter.
- Tu es mon bonheur, je t'aime, ma fille.You are my happiness, I love you, my daughter.
Example conversation
Gabriel is saying goodbye to Emma before she goes to school.
- GabrielPasse une bonne journée, Emma.Have a good day, Emma.
- EmmaMerci papa, à ce soir !Thanks dad, see you tonight!
- GabrielJe t'aime, ma fille !I love you, my daughter!
- EmmaMoi aussi, je t'aime !I love you too!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries fille, je, ma, CC BY-SA 4.0.
