Dictionary / French / I love you
How to Say "I love you" in French
Je t'aime
/ʒə tɛm/
Literally: I you love
Je
I
t'
you
aime
love
Good to know
To a group, or to someone you call vous, say je vous aime. Je t'aime is said freely to a partner, to children and to close family. Je t'adore is warm and affectionate, and with friends it often sounds lighter than je t'aime.
Correct
Je t'aime
What people say wrong
Je t'aime bien
I like you (friendly, not romantic)
The mistake to avoid. Adding a word to je t'aime usually makes it weaker, not stronger. Je t'aime bien means I like you, the kind of thing you say to a friend or a colleague. Many speakers also hear je t'aime beaucoup as fond rather than romantic. If you mean I love you, say je t'aime and stop there. The verb aimer also changes with its object. With a person it means love, but with a thing it usually means like: j'aime le café is I like coffee. That is why j'aime bien quelqu'un and je t'aime are so far apart.
In context
Je t'aime, tu le sais ?
I love you, you know that?
Je t'aime bien, mais je ne suis pas amoureuse de toi.
I like you, but I'm not in love with you.
Bonne nuit, mon cœur. Je t'aime.
Good night, sweetheart. I love you.