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 |
These phrases are used to provide an affirmation of romantic feeling. You can also use je t'adore to say "I adore you" and express strong affection. For intense infatuation, you might say Je suis fou/folle de toi ("I am crazy about you"). To convey care and affection, you can use Je pense à toi ("I'm thinking of you").
Which one should you use?
The phrase je t'adore can be used romantically, but it is often perceived as slightly less heavy or serious than je t'aime and is frequently used among friends to express strong liking. Be careful with the phrase je t'aime beaucoup. Adding beaucoup actually weakens the romantic intensity and often turns the phrase into a platonic expression of affection, meaning "I like you a lot".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
je t'aime and je t'adore are informal forms used with a single person. je vous aime and je vous adore are formal forms used when addressing more than one person.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In France, Je t'aime à la folie is used to mean "I love you madly".
How does it change in a sentence?
In the singular form je t'aime, the t’ is a contraction of te, which is the singular informal object pronoun for "you". In the plural or formal form je vous aime, the vous is used when addressing more than one person or using the formal "you".
How do you pronounce it?
/ʒə t‿ɛm/
When do people say it?
mon trésor is an endearing term meaning "my treasure".
Did you know?
- While English uses 'love' for friends and family, the phrase je t'aime is so weighty in France that people often avoid it until a relationship is very serious.
- The word aime comes from the Latin amare, which is the root for many English words like 'amiable' and 'amorous'.
- The word vous in je vous aime shares a common ancestor with the Russian word вы (vy) and the Italian voi.
Examples in context
- PS : Je t'aime.PS: I love you.This sentence is useful for seeing je t'aime in a written note.Tatoeba #848270 by sacredceltic, translation #1357022 by sacredceltic
- Mais je t'aime !But I love you!This sentence shows how to use je t'aime with emphasis.Tatoeba #10087314 by Rovo, translation #10087190 by ddnktr
- Papa, je t'aime !Daddy, I love you!This sentence shows je t'aime to address a father.Tatoeba #5230593 by michelnialon, translation #2075226 by Vened
- Je vous aime beaucoup, madame.I love you very much, madam.
- Je t'adore, mon amour!I adore you, my love!
- 171 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A quiet evening at home.
- NathanJe t'aime, Léa.I love you, Léa.
- LéaMoi aussi, je t'aime, Nathan.I love you too, Nathan.
- NathanTu es la femme de ma vie.You are the woman of my life.
- LéaC'est tellement gentil.That is so sweet.
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.
