How To Say ‘I Adore You’ in French + Other Romantic Phrases

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If you’d like to say, “I adore you” in French, you would say, Je t’adore. However, it would sound almost as outdated in French as it does in English—outside of some specific contexts. Assuming you want to express love for someone, you’d almost always say, Je t’aime. While it translates literally as “I like you,” in practice, it means the same as “I love you” does in English.

Mastering general day-to-day expressions can certainly help provide a great foundation for learning French. After all, they’re most of what you’re likely to use in travel or casual interactions with others. Adding a deeper understanding of verbs, nouns, general grammar, and pronunciation is the natural next step.

Rosetta Stone designs language-learning programs that build confidence in speaking and understanding French. Whether you’re a beginner or an intermediate French speaker looking to advance your fluency, we have you covered. Rosetta Stone’s Dynamic Immersion methodology teaches you the language, not just the words.

Traditional vs. modern ways to say ‘I adore you’ in French

Traditionally, the French are known for being romantic. In another era, you might have heard grand declarations of love such as Je t’adore walking down the street past a Parisian café.

These days, it is uncommon to say “I love you” in French to your romantic partner. If you say Je t’adore, it implies you love them as a friend. So, the French are more likely to show affection through actions rather than words. Every couple is unique, however, and you can certainly express your love however you wish! 

Use the following expressions if you prefer words over actions (or both):

Informal vs. formal ‘I adore you’ in French

In the French language, there are different ways to address people you know really well (informal) and people you don’t know or intend to show deeper respect to (formal). 

Informal: Je t’aime (I love you)

Hands down, the most common way to say “I love you” in French is Je t’aime. Although aimer, a common French verb, can also mean “to like,” it implies “love” when used with a loved one. 

• Je t’aime. = I love you.
• J’aime le chocolat. = I like chocolate.

The object pronoun te (t’) is the singular and informal “you.” The te becomes t’ because of the vowel following. Use Je t’aime to say “I love you” to an individual.

Formal: Je vous aime (I love you)

In other situations, you may need to use Je vous aime instead of Je t’aime to say “I love you.” The object pronoun vous (“you,” plural) is used when speaking to someone formally or to multiple people. French-speaking people often use vous with family members who are older than they are, especially grandparents. This varies from family to family and is used out of respect.

Similar phrases to ‘I adore you’ in French

The most common way to express love in French is by using terms of endearment. Show that special someone you truly adore them by using one of the following:

When using these terms of endearment in French, the word for “my” (mon/ma) does not necessarily agree with the person you are addressing. Rather, it agrees with the gender of the noun directly following. For example, you would use mon chou with a guy or a girl, because the word chou is masculine. French gender rules do tell us that some words can have a feminine and a masculine form. Some adjectives, like handsome/beautiful (beau/belle) have two completely different forms, so you would use the word that matches who you are addressing.

Say ‘I adore you’ in French with confidence

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