What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of je (I), t' (you, which is the elided form of te), aime (love), tellement (so much), mon (my) and amour (love).
Which one should you use?
While je t'aime is the standard way to express love, adding mon amour turns the expression into a more specific romantic address. Other informal variations include Je t'aime tellement fort, mon amour (I love you so much, my love), Je t'adore, mon amour (I adore you, my love), Mon amour, je suis dingue de toi (My love, I am crazy about you) and the slangy Je te kiffe grave, mon amour (I'm really into you, my love).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In France, some people might use the affectionate term Ma puce (literally "my flea") instead of Mon amour.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase je t'aime tellement, mon amour, the pronoun te (you) is elided to t' because the following verb aime begins with a vowel.
Did you know?
- In French, saying je t'aime to a romantic partner means 'I love you', but saying it to a friend or family member often means 'I like you'. To avoid confusion, French speakers use je t'aime bien to specifically mean 'I like you' as a friend.
- In French, the word amour is traditionally masculine, so even when addressing a woman, one must say mon amour rather than ma amour.
- The word amour did not follow the standard phonetic evolution of Old French, which would have made it ameur. Its current form was likely influenced by Old Occitan, a separate regional language of southern France.
Examples in context
- Je t'aime tellement, mon amour, tu es tout pour moi.I love you so much, my love, you are everything to me.
- Écoute, je t'aime tellement, mon amour.Listen, I love you so much, my love.
- Tu sais que je t'aime tellement, mon amour ?Do you know that I love you so much, my love?
Example conversation
Léa and Lucas are having a quiet moment during a romantic dinner.
- LéaJe t'aime tellement, mon amour.I love you so much, my love.
- LucasMoi aussi, je t'aime de tout mon cœur.Me too, I love you with all my heart.
- LéaTu es l'homme de ma vie, Lucas.You are the man of my life, Lucas.
- LucasEt toi, tu es ma vie, Léa.And you, you are my life, Léa.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries amour, je, mon, tellement, CC BY-SA 4.0.
