What does it mean word for word?
Literally, je veux coucher avec toi translates to 'I want to lie down with you'. While the verb coucher means 'to lie down' or 'to put to bed', in this context, it is the standard way to express sexual intercourse.
Which one should you use?
While je veux coucher avec toi expresses sexual desire, the phrase je veux dormir avec toi literally means 'to sleep with you' (sharing a bed for rest).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Other informal ways to express this desire include J'ai envie de dormir avec toi ('I feel like sleeping with you') and J'ai trop envie de passer la nuit avec toi ('I really want to spend the night with you').
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, Canada, the expression J'ai le goût de dormir avec toi is used to mean 'I have the urge/desire to sleep with you'.
How does it change in a sentence?
When addressing more than one person or using the formal 'vous', you must change toi to vous, as seen in je veux coucher avec vous.
Did you know?
- The word coucher is a doublet of the word colloquer, meaning they both evolved from the same Latin ancestor despite their very different modern meanings.
Examples in context
- Je veux coucher avec toi ce soir.I want to sleep with you tonight.
- Est-ce que tu sais que je veux coucher avec toi ?Do you know that I want to sleep with you?
Example conversation
Léa and Gabriel are alone in a dimly lit apartment.
- LéaGabriel, je veux coucher avec toi.Gabriel, I want to sleep with you.
- GabrielTu es très directe ce soir, Léa.You are very direct tonight, Léa.
- LéaJe sais ce que je veux.I know what I want.
- GabrielMoi aussi, j'en ai très envie.Me too, I want it very much.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries avec, coucher, je, toi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
