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“I love you” in French is most commonly expressed asJe t’aime.
In most cases, Je t’aime is used just like “I love you” in English – that is, it can express romantic or familial love, or the deep connection of a friendship.
One major difference, though, is if you’re addressing more than one person, in which case you’d say Je vous aime.
Of course, love is a big and multifaceted experience, so these aren’t the only ways to talk about this feeling. Let’s look atthese and other waysto say “I love you” in French!
Table of Contents
How the French talk about love
How to say “I love you” in French
What about Je t’adore?
Where can I find more ways to say “I love you” in French?
How the French talk about love
Before we talk about howthe French say “I love you”, it’s important to know how most French people feel about saying it at all.
Unlike some other cultures, French people tend not to be very demonstrativewhen it comes to emotions.
So while you will certainly come across Je t’aimeand other declarations of love in everyday life, as well as songs, books, movies, and so on, it’s not usually used in a way that’s taken lightly. Unless they’re trying to manipulate you, if a French person says Je t’aime, it’s a pretty sure thing they mean it wholeheartedly.
And it’s usually this simple phrase that will be used, rather than a more elaborate or poetic one. That’s because no matter how sincere they are, grandiose, heartfelt displays of love will often be met with the usual reaction most French people have to overt expressions of emotion in general: suspicion, laughter, or the assumption that you’re not very bright.
If this sounds intimidating or off-putting, remember that French people feel love just as much as anyone else. That’s not the issue. They just tend to be more low-key about expressing it.
How to say “I love you” in French
Now that you know about how the French tend to talk about their feelings of love, here are the most common ways to say “I love you” in French.
The standard “I love you” – Je t’aime
Je t’aimeis the most common way to say “I love you” in French. The singular, informal object pronoun te(shortened to t’because it’s followed by a vowel) is used, since this phrase is usually directed at a single person that you’re close to.
“To love” in French isaimer, a regular-erverb.It can be used for all kinds of love: romantic, familial, etc.
Je t’aimecan be used for romantic love, but you can also use it to talk about family love, friendship, the love you feel for a pet, if you’re the type who’d say that to your pet (I know I am!).
That said, as in English, using “love” with a friend might cause confusion in some cases, so if you want to be clear that it’s just friendship, you can tack on the word bien: Je t’aime bien.Yes, this seems like it would mean that you REALLY love that person, but it’s actually the opposite! It just means “I really like you”, instead.
The group (or formal) “I love you” – Je vous aime
Je t’aimeis the standard way to say “I love you” in French – but only for one person. What if you want to say this to a group of people, like your family or friends? In this case, you’d change the singular object pronoun teto vous: Je vous aime.
This is how Je vous aime is used most often in contemporary French.For instance, French singer Elsa Esnoult’s song Je vous aimeis about the love she feels for her fans.
You may sometimes hear Je vous aime tous(I love you all), as well.
But voushas another use, of course: it can also be a formal way to address one person. So, Je vous aime could be a declaration of love towards a person who isn’t well-known to the speaker, or with whom they have a formal relationship.
This kind of formal love declaration is most common in dialogue from older eras.
To use a universally admired romantic example, Mr. Darcy’s famous declaration of love to Elizabeth Bennett: “You must allow me to tellyou how ardentlyI admire and love you” in Pride and Prejudice(Orgueil et Préjugés) is translated into French using vous, rather than tu. Part of the reason for this is that members of the upper classes addressed one another formally at that time. And of course, it’s also because Mr. Darcy has held himself aloof from Elizabeth, so they’re not particularly close.
Nowadays, it would be very unusual for a French person to declare their love (or desire!) to someone using vous rather than tu.So if you hear Je vous aime, it’s most likely that the person speaking is referring to a group of people.
The “I love you so much” – Je t’aime tellement/Je t’aime tant
“I love you so much”in French is most commonly expressed as eitherJe t’aime tellementorJe t’aime tant.
Je t’aime tellementis the one I hear most often – in movies and TV shows, I mean, not said to me by a string ofprétendants(suitors).
Usually it’s said with a lot of sincere earnestness. After all, for the fairly non-demonstrative French, a Je t’aimewill usually do just fine.
As you might have guessed, the plural or formal versions of these phrases are: Je vous aime tellementand Je vous aime tant.
The family style “I love you so much” – Je vous aime très fort
Je vous aime fortor, a bit more commonly, Je vous aime très fort, roughly translates to: “I love you a lot”, “I love you lots”, or “I love you so much.”
These phrases are most commonly used when addressing your family, rather than to express romantic love. For instance, my French mother-in-law often says this to me, my husband, and my son, in emotional moments.
Interestingly, it’s less common in contemporary spoken French to use this phrase to address one person directly, not even if they’re a family member.
The “I’m crazy about you” – Je suis fou de toi/Je suis folle de toi
“I’m crazy about you” in French is Je suis fou de toi(if you’re a male) or Je suis folle de toi(if you’re a female).
However, it’s important not to forget that the French tend to prefer subtle declarations of love. So while you might hear this phrase in a comédie romantique(romantic comedy), it’s not said as often in real life. And even in French movies or TV shows, people who say this phrase may be portrayed as over the top or kind of silly.
On the other hand, it’s a bit more acceptable to use this expression when talking about your feelings for someone, as opposed to addressing them directly. For instance: Je suis fou d’elle.(I’m mad about her.)
The “I’m in love with you” – Je suis amoureux de toi/Je suis amoureuse de toi
A way to express your love in French that won’t necessarily seem over-the-top is to say Je suis amoureux de toi(if you’re a male) or Je suis amoureuse de toi(If you’re a female) — “I’m in love with you.”
You’ll often hear this phrase in French showsandmovies, and no wonder; as in English, itletssomeone share their feelings and also makes them vulnerable in a way.
There is one downside, though. As you might be thinking based on the translation, this phrase only works as a one-time thing (or one time per relationship, at least), rather than a continuous way to express your love.
The informal phone, email, or text “I love you” – Bisous/Gros bisous
Bisous(literally: Kisses) or Gros bisous(literally: Big Kisses)are the equivalents of Love/Lots of Love/Kisses.These phrases are a very common way to end emails, letters, and text messages withfamilyor close friends.
You may also hear them at the end of a phone call.
Keep in mind that, like “Love” used at the end of a message or XOXO, these phrases are very informal and “cute”.
That being said, they are used frequently. And sometimes they can even have a deeper meaning. For instance, several French mom friends I’ve known for years will end phone calls with me by saying Bisous. It implies a sense of closeness or even family, since we’ve seen our kids grow up together.
The informal phone, email, or text “I love you” if you’re in love: Bisou
The word Bisou(a single, sweet kiss), is used in a similar way to Bisous. But there’s an important difference: You use Bisouwith the person you’re in love with/in a romantic relationship with.
The idea is that while you’dfaire la bise (exchange cheek kisses) with other people you’re close to in your life, with the person you’re in love with, you’d exchange a single kiss on the lips.
The text or email slang “I love you” – jtm
jtmis a common way to abbreviateJe t’aimein text messages and in online chats.If you say the letters “j, t, m” the way they’re pronounced in the French alphabet, it sounds like Je t’aime, which is pretty neat: jtm.
But keep in mind that, as in English, internet and texting slang isn’t appreciated by every French person. This is especially true if you’re trying to talk about deep feelings. Jtmmight work for teenagers, but if you’re older than that, please do not tell a French person you love them – especially for the first time – by using jtm.
What about Je t’adore?
This is supposed to be a list of the most common ways to say “I love you” in French, and so, fellow Anglophones, you may be thinking there’s something missing. What about Je t’adore, a phrase familiar to people around the world?
Here’s why it’s not on our list: Je t’adoredoes literally translate to “I adore you”, which would be a perfectly fine, albeit slightly extreme, way to express one’s love in English. But in French, it’s seen as over-the-top, making it silly and insincere. Some people do use it, but it’s not taken seriously, and wouldn’t be a great choice as a declaration of love.
So, when it comes to declaring your amour, avoid Je t’adore!
Where can I find more ways to say “I love you” in French?
I hope you’ve enjoyed this list of common ways to say “I love you” in French. Remember that while the French way of expressing love may be subtle, the feeling is still the same as it is for anyone who feels this strong emotion.
The more you practice French, the easier it will become to talk about love in French. The French Together appis a great way to learn and practice everyday French. Add some listening practice with a list of French love songs, and you’ll be able to talk like a true romantic in no time!
In addition to daily practice, you can find some unusual, creative ways to say “I love you” in French by reading French love poems and by doing an online search for “déclaration d’amour”. My personal favorite of the latter is: Mon cœur t’appartient(My heart belongs to you).
Note that when I said this to my French husband, he snorted and said I sounded like a 19thcentury poet…and he didn’t mean that in a good way. So keep in mind that many of the expressions you’ll come across are extremely romantic and emotional, which may be off-putting for most (though certainly not all) French people!
If you want to déclarer ta flamme(declare your love for someone) to a French person, the best way to go is probably the simplest: Just say Je t’aime.
