Talking about love in French

In today’s article, we are going to learn some French vocabulary and phrases to talk about a great topic – Love!

Whether you want to tell someone you love them, ask for a date or express your affection in general, here you will find some words and sentences that can help you.

Summary :

1. Saying ‘I love you’ in French
2. Terms of affection in French
3. Top French expressions about love

Firstly, French has a reputation of being a romantic language. But how exactly can you declare your love in French ? Well, this article will certainly provide you with the various shades available !

The French ‘I love you’ and its nuances

Of course, the most common way to say ‘I love you’ is ‘je t’aime’. Yet, you could also use :

• Je t’aime beaucoup / tellement = I love you very/so much
• Je t’aime vraiment = I truly love you

Be careful as ‘Je t’aime bien’ means I like you. In this instance, you may care for the person but this is nothing else than friendship.

Additional ways to express your love

• Je t’adore = I adore you
• Je suis fou amoureux (m) / folle amoureuse (f) de toi = I’m crazy in love with you
• Tu es l’amour de ma vie = You are the love of my life
• Tu comptes beaucoup / vraiment pour moi = You mean a lot / so much to me
• Je te kiffe (slang) = I dig you

‘Mon coeur bat la chamade pour toi’ (my heart is racing for you) is outdated and no longer used in French conversation.

Next, to become an expert at talking in French about love, here are delightful and nicknames and heart-fluttering verbs.

Cute nicknames

The French language has a whole set of sweet terms that you can use! Some of these are very random, relating to animals, food and so much more. Feel free to check the list of creative nicknames to call your partner.

• Mon ange = my angel
• Mon amour = my love
• Mon bébé = my baby
• Mon chéri / ma chérie = my darling
• Mon coeur = my sweetheart
• Mon copain / ma copine = my boyfriend
• Mon lapin = my rabbit
• Ma moitié = my other half
• Ma puce = my sweetie
• Mon trésor = my treasure

Mon petit ami & ma petite amie mean boyfriend & girlfriend. It’s not really used by native French speakers.  Nowadays, in everyday conversations, we say mon copain & ma copine.

And if you enjoy French TV series, you may already know that ‘Chouchou’ and ‘Loulou’ are famous nicknames in France. The pair face an array of hilarious situations in Un gars, une fille. However, there are a lot more affectionate nicknames to choose from, as follows :

Loving verbs in French

• Avoir un coup de foudre pour quelqu’un = to experience love at first sight
• Commencer une relation = to start a relationship
• Demander la main de / demander en mariage = to propose
• Embrasser / S’embrasser = to kiss / to kiss each other
• Manquer à quelqu’un = to miss someone
• Se marier avec = to marry
• Sortir avec quelqu’un = to date someone
• Tomber amoureux de = to fall in love with

No matter how old you get, you can always benefit from a little advice when it comes to love.

Here is a list of some of the best French idioms related to love. This will hopefully guide you along the path of French language acquirement.

• Avoir un cœur d’artichaut = (to have an artichoke’s heart) to fall in love easily
• Être fleur bleue = (to be a blue flower) to be very romantic
• En pincer pour quelqu’un = to develop an infatuation for someone
• Avoir un ticket avec = to have a shot with
• Poser un lapin = (to put a rabbit) to stand someone up
• Se prendre un râteau = (to take yourself a rake) to face a rejection
• S’envoyer en l’air = to have sex

That’s all folks! Now is the time to put them to practice in conversations. Sign up today for a first French lesson and take your fluency to the next level with a certified French teacher!