ne dis jamais je t'aime
The English phrase "never say I love you" is translated into French as ne dis jamais je t'aime.
What does it mean word for word?
The negation never is formed by using the word jamais in conjunction with ne.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the imperative (command) form of the verb dire (to say). To specify that the person should not say it to the speaker, you can add the pronoun me before the verb to say ne me dis jamais je t'aime. When addressing more than one person or using a formal tone, the verb dis changes to dites.
Did you know?
- If you wanted to say 'I love you' to a friend or family member without implying romance, French speakers often add an adverb like bien to say je t'aime bien.
- In informal spoken French, you might hear people drop the ne entirely and just say dis jamais je t'aime, even though it is grammatically incomplete.
- The word jamais is a combination of the Old French words ja and mais, which originally meant 'any more' only when referring to the future.
Examples in context
- Dans ce film, elle lui dit : ne dis jamais je t'aime.In this movie, she tells him: never say i love you.
- Il conseille à sa sœur : ne dis jamais je t'aime trop vite.He advises his sister: never say i love you too fast.
Example conversation
Lucas and Emma are discussing a romantic drama they just watched.
- LucasC'est une règle étrange, non ?It's a strange rule, isn't it?
- EmmaOui, elle lui dit : ne dis jamais je t'aime.Yes, she tells him: never say i love you.
- LucasMais elle est très amoureuse de lui.But she is very in love with him.
- EmmaC'est son secret pour ne pas souffrir.It is her secret to avoid suffering.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries jamais, je, ne, CC BY-SA 4.0.
