je t'aime
/ʒə t‿ɛm/informal, singular
In French, the phrase 'I love you' is expressed as je t'aime. Wiktionary also lists je vous aime and je t'adore.
Meaning: affirmation of romantic feeling (phrase)
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 |
The phrase is used to affirm romantic feelings, but it is also the standard way to express love to family members and children.
Which one should you use?
While je t'aime expresses deep romantic love, je t'adore is actually less intense or more casual than je t'aime when used in a romantic sense. Adding beaucoup (a lot) to je t'aime actually weakens the phrase to mean 'I like you very much' rather than expressing deep romantic love.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
je t'aime and je t'adore are informal and singular. je vous aime and je vous adore are formal and plural.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase je t'aime, the t' is a contraction of te because the verb aime begins with a vowel.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʒə t‿ɛm/
Did you know?
- While je t'aime is the standard expression of love, French has a specific word le coup de foudre to describe the sudden 'thunderbolt' of falling in love at first sight.
- The word adore in je t'adore comes from the Latin word for 'prayer', but in modern French, it is frequently used as a casual way to tell a friend they are great.
- French culture uses the distinction between tu and vous to signal intimacy, meaning the shift from je vous aime to je t'aime often marks a pivotal moment in a relationship.
Examples in context
- PS : Je t'aime.PS: I love you.This example shows the use of je t'aime in a postscript.Tatoeba #848270 by sacredceltic, translation #1357022 by sacredceltic
- Mais je t'aime !But I love you!This example shows the use of je t'aime in an emphatic sentence.Tatoeba #10087314 by Rovo, translation #10087190 by ddnktr
- Papa, je t'aime !Daddy, I love you!This example shows the use of je t'aime when speaking to a parent.Tatoeba #5230593 by michelnialon, translation #2075226 by Vened
- Je t'adore, mon chéri/ma chérie.I adore you, my dear.
- Je te kiffe trop, mon poussin.I really like you a lot, my chick.
- Ma chérie, je t'aime tellement. Je suis tellement fier/fière de toi quand tu partages tes jouets avec tes amis.My dear, I love you so much. I am so proud of you when you share your toys with your friends.
- 171 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Léa are having a romantic dinner.
- GabrielTu es magnifique ce soir.You look beautiful tonight.
- LéaMerci, Gabriel. Je t'aime.Thank you, Gabriel. I love you.
- GabrielJe t'aime aussi, ma chérie.I love you too, my darling.
- LéaC'est le plus beau des cadeaux.It is the most beautiful gift.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I love you” translations and entries je t'aime, je vous aime, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
