What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the subject pronoun nous (we) and the first-person plural present indicative of the verb aimer (to love/like).
Which one should you use?
While nous aimons is standard, other forms exist depending on the intensity and context. On adore is a popular and informal way to say 'we love' in French. For more intense or specific feelings, you might use Nous éprouvons de l'amour pour (we feel love for) or Nous ressentons un profond amour pour (we feel deep love for). You can also use Nous sommes fous/folles de to mean 'we are crazy about' or 'we are madly in love with'. It is important to note that when using aimer for people, it can be ambiguous.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, one can say Nous sommes en amour.
How does it change in a sentence?
In casual spoken French, the pronoun on is much more common than nous to mean 'we' and it is used with the third-person singular form of the verb, such as on aime.
Did you know?
- To avoid the ambiguity of aimer, which can mean both 'to like' and 'to love', French speakers often add the adverb bien to mean 'to like'. Paradoxically, saying nous aimons bien actually weakens the sentiment to 'we like', whereas nous aimons on its own is stronger.
- The use of the singular je to represent 'we' was historically mocked by playwrights like Molière, who associated it with the speech of peasants.
- In Quebec, the phrase nous sommes en amour is used to say 'we are in love', a construction that is rarely used in France. In France, speakers would typically use nous sommes amoureux.
Examples in context
- Nous aimons nos parcs.We love our parks.This sentence is useful for showing how to use nous aimons with places like parks.Tatoeba #5359206 by Aiji, translation #4500888 by CK
- Nous aimons la musique.We love music.This sentence shows the use of nous aimons regarding music.Tatoeba #2551621 by Amastan, translation #11658257 by Adelpa
- Nous aimons les arbres.We love trees.This sentence demonstrates how to use nous aimons when talking about trees.Tatoeba #9253121 by Micsmithel, translation #1572930 by fanty
- Nous aimons votre entreprise et nous apprécions votre travail.We love your company and appreciate your work.
- On adore passer du temps ensemble.We love spending time together.
- 23 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Manon are at a cafe talking about their hobbies.
- GabrielNous aimons beaucoup ce café.We love this cafe a lot.
- ManonMoi aussi, l'ambiance est géniale.Me too, the atmosphere is great.
- GabrielEst-ce que tu veux commander un dessert ?Do you want to order a dessert?
- ManonOui, avec plaisir !Yes, with pleasure!
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
