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 |
The phrase is used as an affirmation of romantic feeling. A common, casual way to say 'I love you' is je t'aime, which is suitable for partners, family and close friends. To express strong feelings of love and adoration, you can use the informal expression je t'adore. In more poetic contexts, one might say Mon amour pour vous est immense to mean 'My love for you is immense.'
Which one should you use?
There is a difference in intensity when adding words to these phrases. While je t'aime is a standard romantic declaration, adding the adverb beaucoup to create je t'aime beaucoup actually weakens the phrase to a platonic expression of affection, similar to saying 'I like you a lot.' Similarly, while je t'adore can be used romantically, it is often perceived as being slightly more 'passionate/infatuated' or less intense than the standard je t'aime in certain social contexts. Finally, je t'aime bien expresses a deep fondness or a way to say 'I like you a lot' in a casual, friendly manner rather than expressing romantic love.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
je t'aime and je t'adore are informal singular forms. For formal situations or when addressing more than one person, use the plural/formal forms je vous aime or je vous adore.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In France, the phrase Je t'aime mon chéri is used.
How does it change in a sentence?
You should use je vous aime instead of je t'aime when you are addressing a single person in a formal context or when you are addressing more than one person.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʒə t‿ɛm/
Did you know?
- The formal pronoun vous used 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 example is useful for seeing a postscript of the phrase je t'aime.Tatoeba #848270 by sacredceltic, translation #1357022 by sacredceltic
- Mais je t'aime !But I love you!This example shows the phrase je t'aime used with an exclamation.Tatoeba #10087314 by Rovo, translation #10087190 by ddnktr
- Papa, je t'aime !Daddy, I love you!This example shows a child using je t'aime to address their father.Tatoeba #5230593 by michelnialon, translation #2075226 by Vened
- Je t'aime plus que tout au monde.I love you more than anything in the world.
- Mon cœur t'appartient.My heart belongs to you.
- Tu es l'amour de ma vie.You are the love of my life.
- 171 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple is having a romantic dinner.
- GabrielManon, je t'aime.Manon, I love you.
- ManonOh, je t'aime aussi, Gabriel.Oh, I love you too, Gabriel.
- GabrielTu es la femme de ma vie.You are the woman of my life.
- ManonC'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.
