amour
/a.muʁ/masculine
The English word 'love' is translated into French as amour.
The noun amour refers to the concept of strong affection. In an informal context, you can use the term of endearment Mon amour to mean 'my love' when addressing a significant other. You can also use the phrase Je pense à toi to mean 'I'm thinking of you' as a way to convey love and care.
Meaning: strong affection (noun)
Which one should you use?
While amour refers to the concept of love itself, using the phrase un amour (a love) often refers to a specific person or a romantic affair.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 2 syllables and is pronounced /a.muʁ/.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the noun amour when they actually mean the verb 'to love'. To express the action of loving someone, you must use the verb aimer.
Did you know?
- The French phrase coup de foudre, which literally means 'a bolt of lightning', is used to describe the experience of falling in love at first sight.
- If you say Je t'aime beaucoup, you are actually 'downgrading' your affection to mean 'I like you a lot' rather than 'I love you very much'.
- French has a specific term amour-propre which translates to 'self-love' but actually refers to one's sense of pride or self-esteem.
Examples in context
- C'est ça l'amour ?Is this love?Tatoeba #606421 by qdii, translation #326263 by CK
- Je veux ton amour.I want your love.Tatoeba #1790159 by sacredceltic, translation #1789308 by Spamster
- Crois en l'amour !Believe in love!Tatoeba #1947486 by sacredceltic, translation #1945925 by Scott
- L'amour est la clé du bonheurLove is the key to happiness
- Je t'aime plus que tout au mondeI love you more than anything in the world
- Depuis que je t'ai rencontré(e), je suis fou/folle de toiSince I met you, I've been head over heels in love with you
- Viens ici, mon amourCome here, my love
- Tu me manques tellement, je pense à toi tout le tempsI miss you so much, I think of you all the time
- 1168 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Manon are talking about a romantic movie.
- NathanC'est une belle histoire d'amour.It is a beautiful love story.
- ManonOui, j'ai adoré ce film.Yes, I loved this movie.
- NathanL'amour est un sujet magnifique.Love is a magnificent subject.
- ManonC'est vrai, Nathan.That is true, Nathan.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “love” translations and entries amour, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
