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 an affirmation of romantic feeling. je t'aime is the most common way to say "I love you" in French and can be used casually within personal relationships. For a more intense expression, you can use je t'adore, which means "I adore you".
What does it mean word for word?
je t'aime is a contraction of je te aime, where te (you) becomes t' before a vowel.
Which one should you use?
While je t'aime carries a heavy romantic weight, je t'adore can be used more casually or platonically to mean "I really like you" or "I'm fond of you". Additionally, be aware that adding beaucoup (a lot) to the phrase, as in je t'aime beaucoup, actually weakens the romantic intensity and often makes it sound more like "I like you very much" rather than a deep declaration of love.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
je t'aime and je t'adore are informal and used in the singular. je vous aime and je vous adore are the formal and plural forms. je vous aime is the standard formal way to say "I love you" in French.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In urban areas in France, particularly among younger generations, the expression Je t'aime grave is used to mean "I love you deeply" or "I love you a lot".
How does it change in a sentence?
Use je vous aime when expressing love to more than one person or when using the formal vous to address a single person, though addressing a single person formally in a romantic context is rare.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʒə t‿ɛm/
Did you know?
- The formal vous in je vous aime was historically used by everyone to show respect, even between spouses in some upper-class households during the 19th century.
- The French word vous is a cognate of the Italian voi and the Russian вы (vy).
- The expression Je t'aime grave uses the word grave (which usually means 'serious') as a slang intensifier similar to 'totally' or 'really'.
Examples in context
- PS : Je t'aime.PS: I love you.This example shows the phrase in a postscript.Tatoeba #848270 by sacredceltic, translation #1357022 by sacredceltic
- Mais je t'aime !But I love you!This sentence uses the phrase with an exclamation point for emphasis.Tatoeba #10087314 by Rovo, translation #10087190 by ddnktr
- Papa, je t'aime !Daddy, I love you!This sentence shows the phrase being used to address a father.Tatoeba #5230593 by michelnialon, translation #2075226 by Vened
- Je t'aime tellement, tu es la personne la plus importante dans ma vie!I love you so much, you are the most important person in my life!
- 171 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Hugo are saying goodbye before he leaves.
- LéaJe t'aime, Hugo.I love you, Hugo.
- HugoMoi aussi, je t'aime, Léa.I love you too, Léa.
- LéaÀ demain alors !See you tomorrow then!
- HugoÀ demain, ma chérie.See you tomorrow, my darling.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I love you” translations and entries je t'aime, je vous aime, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries je, vous, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
