Ways to say it
| French | Note |
|---|---|
| je te déteste | informal |
| je te hais | informal |
| je vous déteste | formal, plural |
| je vous hais | formal, plural |
These phrases are used to express an intense dislike for another person.
Which one should you use?
The verb détester is common for expressing hatred. However, the form je te hais uses the verb haïr, which expresses a more visceral, profound or literary level of hatred. Additionally, the choice of pronoun changes the target: je te déteste and je te hais use the informal pronoun te, while je vous déteste and je vous hais use the formal or plural pronoun vous.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
To address a friend, family member or peer, use the informal forms je te déteste or je te hais. To address someone with respect or a group of people, use the formal forms je vous déteste or je vous hais. For a highly formal way to express extreme dislike, you may use Je vous ai en horreur, which means "I abhor you".
How does it change in a sentence?
In these French constructions, the object pronoun representing "you" (te or vous) is placed before the conjugated verb. When using je vous déteste, the pronoun vous can address a single person formally or multiple people simultaneously.
Did you know?
- While je te déteste is the standard translation for 'I hate you', French speakers often use je ne peux pas te supporter (literally 'I cannot support you') to express a similar feeling of intense dislike in daily conversation.
- The French word vous is a distant relative of the Russian word вы (vy) and the Italian word voi, as all three share a common ancestral root for the plural 'you'.
Examples in context
- Je te hais !I hate you!This sentence is useful for expressing intense hatred using je te hais.Tatoeba #2194314 by sacredceltic, translation #1496819 by Spamster
- Je te déteste, raclure !I hate you, creep!This sentence uses je te déteste to express hatred towards a specific person.Tatoeba #12680792 by Olcyx, translation #6321443 by CarpeLanam
- Je vous déteste tous les deux.I hate you both.This sentence shows how to use je vous déteste when addressing two people.Tatoeba #2334274 by sacredceltic, translation #2334160 by CK
- Je vous déteste pour ce que vous avez fait, mais je préfère maintenant mettre cette rancune de côté et me tourner vers l'avenir.I hate you for what you've done, but I would rather put this resentment aside and move on towards the future.
- 14 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Gabriel are having an intense argument in a park.
- ManonJe te déteste, Gabriel !I hate you, Gabriel!
- GabrielC'est injuste, Manon.That is unfair, Manon.
- ManonTu m'as beaucoup blessée.You hurt me a lot.
- GabrielJe suis vraiment désolé.I am really sorry.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I hate you” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries je, te, vous, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
