mon amour
The French phrase for "my love" is mon amour.
mon amour is a term of endearment used to address a romantic partner. It can be used as a direct address to a person or to refer to the abstract concept of one's love within a sentence.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the possessive adjective mon (my) and the noun amour (love).
Which one should you use?
While mon amour is often used to address someone directly, it can also refer to the abstract concept of one's love itself.
How does it change in a sentence?
Even if the person being addressed is female, the phrase remains mon amour because the possessive adjective mon agrees with the masculine noun amour, not the gender of the person being spoken to.
Did you know?
- While mon amour is romantic, French speakers often use animal names like ma puce ('my flea') or mon chou ('my cabbage') as terms of endearment with the same intensity.
- French has a specific word, amour-propre, which uses the root of mon amour to describe a person's self-esteem or sense of self-worth.
- The word mon was likely influenced by the Gaulish word mon ('my'), blending the ancient Celtic language of France with Latin.
Examples in context
- Mon amour est éternel.My love is eternal.This sentence shows mon amour used to describe a concept.Tatoeba #6576959 by GB3, translation #6576730 by Eccles17
- Ne sois pas si fâché, mon amour.Don't be so angry, my love.This sentence shows mon amour used to address a person.Tatoeba #5381758 by Scorpionvenin14, translation #11201647 by Lebensfreude
- Je n'ai pas encore osé déclarer mon amour.I have not yet dared to declare my love.This sentence shows mon amour referring to the abstract concept of love.Tatoeba #8487410 by Aiji, translation #2998375 by AlanF_US
- Je t'aime, mon amour.I love you, my love.
- Tu es la personne la plus spéciale, ma chérie.You are the most special person, my dear.
- Je t'aime tellement, mon amour.I love you so much, my love.
- Prends soin de toi, mon trésor.Take care, my treasure.
- Tu occupes chaque petite place de mon cœur.You occupy every little space in my heart.
- 24 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Gabriel are saying goodbye before work.
- EmmaTu as passé une bonne nuit, mon amour ?Did you sleep well, my love?
- GabrielOui, j'ai très bien dormi, merci.Yes, I slept very well, thank you.
- EmmaBonne journée au travail, mon amour.Have a good day at work, my love.
- GabrielMerci, je t'aime, Emma.Thank you, I love you, Emma.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries amour, mon, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
