Aimer is undoubtedly the most common way to say "to love" in French. But as you dive deeper into the language of romance, you'll discover that there are many other beautiful and nuanced ways to express affection, from a casual fondness to a profound passion. Whether you're talking about loving a person, a hobby, or even a delicious meal, choosing the right verb can make all the difference. Let's explore 9 different ways to say "to love" in French, so you can articulate your feelings with perfect precision and charm!

The general 'to love' or 'to like' – aimer

The general 'to love' or 'to like' – aimer

Aimer is one of the most fundamental and versatile verbs in French, meaning both “to love” and “to like.” This dual meaning can sometimes be a bit confusing for learners, but context usually makes it clear.

When aimer is used to express strong affection for people (family, romantic partners, close friends) or pets, it translates to “to love.” It conveys a deep emotional connection.

For things, activities, or general preferences, aimer typically means “to like.” For example, you might aimer a certain food, a movie, or going for walks.

Here’s a crucial distinction: if you want to say you “like” a person (in a platonic, friendly way, not romantically), you should use aimer bien. Saying J’aime Marie implies you love Marie, whereas J’aime bien Marie means you like Marie. This nuance is very important to avoid misunderstandings!

Aimer is a regular -er verb, making its conjugation straightforward. For example, j'aime (I love/like), tu aimes (you love/like), il/elle/on aime (he/she/one loves/likes), nous aimons (we love/like), vous aimez (you love/like), ils/elles aiment (they love/like).

When aimer is followed by a noun representing a general concept or an entire category, it almost always takes a definite article (le, la, l', les). For instance, J'aime le chocolat (I like chocolate in general), not J'aime du chocolat.

As with many words in French, the precise meaning of aimer often becomes clear through context. Pay attention to who is speaking, who they are talking about, and the surrounding conversation to understand if "love" or "like" is implied.

💡 * J'aime ma famille. (I love my family.)

• Elle aime lire des romans. (She likes to read novels.)
• Nous aimons bien notre nouveau voisin. (We like our new neighbor.)
• Tu aimes le vin rouge ? (Do you like red wine?)
• Ils aiment voyager en France. (They like traveling in France.)

The 'to adore' or 'to love intensely' – adorer

The 'to adore' or 'to love intensely' – adorer

The verb adorer in French directly translates to “to adore” or “to love intensely” in English. While it conveys strong positive feelings, understanding its specific usage contexts is key for French learners.

Most commonly, adorer is used to express a strong liking or love for inanimate objects, activities, or concepts. You can think of it as saying “I absolutely love” something in an enthusiastic, non-romantic way, much like how English speakers might say “I love pizza” or “I love reading.”

When applied to people, adorer typically signifies deep fondness, admiration, or affection. It's often used for children, close family members, or friends, implying a strong appreciation or cherishing rather than romantic passion.

This is where adorer differs significantly from aimer. While aimer can mean “to like” (for things) or “to love” (romantically for people), adorer for people never means romantic love. It's more akin to “to be very fond of,” “to cherish,” or “to worship” in a non-romantic sense.

For romantic love, especially between partners, the verb aimer is the appropriate and natural choice. Using adorer in a romantic context would sound unusual, implying an almost worshipful or perhaps one-sided affection, rather than reciprocal romantic love.

As a regular -ER verb, adorer follows a straightforward conjugation pattern, making it relatively easy to master once you understand its crucial contextual nuances.

💡 * J'adore le chocolat. (I love chocolate.)

• Elle adore lire des romans. (She loves reading novels.)
• Nous adorons nos petits-enfants. (We adore our grandchildren.)
• Vous adorez voyager, n'est-ce pas? (You love to travel, don't you?)
• Ils adorent cette chanson. (They adore this song.)

The 'to be in love with' – être amoureux/amoureuse de

When you want to express the deep emotion of 'being in love with' someone or something in French, the phrase you'll use is être amoureux/amoureuse de.

The adjective amoureux (masculine singular) or amoureuse (feminine singular) must agree in gender and number with the subject of the verb être (to be).

For plural subjects, you'd use amoureux for masculine or mixed groups (e.g., ils sont amoureux) and amoureuses for feminine groups (e.g., elles sont amoureuses).

A crucial part of this expression is the preposition de (or its contractions du, des, d’ before a vowel or mute h). It always follows amoureux/amoureuse to specify who or what one is in love with.

Therefore, the complete structure is être (conjugated) + amoureux/amoureuse(s) + de + the object of affection.

This phrase exclusively conveys romantic love, a passionate attachment to a person, place, or even an idea. It's distinct from aimer, which can mean 'to like' or 'to love' but less intensely.

💡 * Il est amoureux d'elle. (He is in love with her.)* Elle est amoureuse de son mari. (She is in love with her husband.)* Nous sommes amoureux de Paris. (We are in love with Paris.)* Je suis amoureuse de toi. (I am in love with you.)* Étaient-ils amoureux l'un de l'autre? (Were they in love with each other?)

The informal 'to like' or 'to love' – kiffer

To express an informal 'to like' or 'to love' in French, especially in casual conversation, the verb kiffer is a fantastic choice. It's widely used by young people and in relaxed settings.

Kiffer originates from Arabic slang and means 'to enjoy' or 'to get a kick out of something'. It conveys a strong, enthusiastic liking or appreciation for someone or something, often more intense than a simple aimer.

While aimer can mean both 'to like' and 'to love', kiffer specifically emphasizes a passionate enjoyment or crush. For example, Je t'aime means 'I love you', but Je te kiffe is more like 'I really like you' or 'I have a crush on you', or 'I'm really into you'.

You can kiffer a person, an activity, an object, or even a feeling. It's a versatile verb for expressing strong positive feelings in an informal context, making your French sound more natural and contemporary.

💡 * Je kiffe cette chanson ! (I really like this song!)* Tu kiffes le chocolat ? (Do you like chocolate?)* On a kiffé notre soirée hier. (We really enjoyed our evening last night.)* Je te kiffe grave ! (I really, really like you!)* Il kiffe son nouveau vélo. (He's really into his new bike.)

The 'to fall in love' – tomber amoureux/amoureuse

The 'to fall in love' – tomber amoureux/amoureuse

Tomber amoureux/amoureuse is the standard French expression for 'to fall in love.' It literally translates to 'to fall in love-struck state.'

The adjective amoureux (masculine singular) or amoureuse (feminine singular) must agree in gender and number with the subject. For plural subjects, it would be amoureux (masculine plural) or amoureuses (feminine plural).

When specifying who someone is falling in love with, the preposition de (or its contracted forms du, de la, de l', des) is used. For example, tomber amoureux de quelqu'un (to fall in love with someone).

The verb tomber (to fall) is conjugated like a regular -er verb in the present tense. Importantly, it uses être as its auxiliary verb in compound tenses (e.g., je suis tombé(e), il était tombé amouruex).

This phrase conveys a strong, often sudden, emotional connection. It's used for genuine romantic feelings, not just a fleeting crush, and implies a significant emotional impact.

💡 * Elle est tombée amoureuse de lui au premier regard. (She fell in love with him at first sight.)

• Je suis tombé amoureux de Paris. (I fell in love with Paris.)
• Ils sont tombés amoureux pendant leurs vacances. (They fell in love during their vacation.)
• Ne tombe pas amoureux trop vite ! (Don't fall in love too quickly!)
• Nous étions tombés amoureux il y a dix ans. (We had fallen in love ten years ago.)

The 'to cherish' or 'to hold dear' – chérir

The French verb chérir directly translates to "to cherish" or "to hold dear." It conveys a deep sense of affection, care, and value placed upon someone or something.

When applied to people, chérir signifies a profound and tender love, often used for children, a partner, or close family members. It implies a protective and enduring affection, highlighting the importance of the person in one's life.

Beyond individuals, chérir is also used for precious objects, cherished memories, dreams, or even abstract concepts like freedom or peace. It emphasizes the emotional value and significance these things hold, rather than just material worth.

Unlike simply aimer (to like/love), chérir carries a stronger, more intimate, and often more enduring emotional weight. It suggests a feeling of holding something close to one's heart, protecting it, and finding immense joy or comfort in its presence or memory.

💡 * Elle chérit ses enfants plus que tout au monde. (She cherishes her children more than anything in the world.)

• Je chéris les souvenirs de notre voyage. (I cherish the memories of our trip.)
• Nous chérissons cette vieille photo de famille. (We cherish this old family photo.)
• Il chérit son indépendance par-dessus tout. (He cherishes his independence above all else.)

The 'to venerate' or 'to worship' – vénérer

The French verb vénérer translates directly to 'to venerate' or 'to worship' in English. It conveys a strong sense of deep respect, reverence, or adoration.

While it can be used in a religious context to mean 'to worship a deity or saint,' vénérer also applies to showing profound respect or admiration for a person, an ideal, or even an object. It implies a high degree of esteem, almost bordering on idolization.

Vénérer is a regular -ER verb, meaning its conjugation follows the standard pattern for verbs ending in -er, with a slight stem change for some tenses (e.g., je vénère, nous vénérons).

💡 *Beaucoup de cultures vénèrent leurs ancêtres. (Many cultures venerate their ancestors.)
*Il vénère son professeur pour sa sagesse. (He venerates his teacher for his wisdom.)
*Les fidèles vénèrent la statue de la Vierge Marie. (The faithful worship the statue of the Virgin Mary.)
*Elle vénère la liberté par-dessus tout. (She venerates freedom above all else.)
*Les fans vénèrent leur idole de la pop. (The fans worship their pop idol.)

The 'to appreciate' or 'to value' – apprécier

The 'to appreciate' or 'to value' – apprécier

The verb apprécier is a regular -er verb in French, and it primarily means 'to appreciate', 'to value', or 'to enjoy'.

It can be used to express gratitude, to acknowledge the worth of something, or to simply state that you like or enjoy something, whether it's a person, an object, or an experience.

While similar to aimer (to like/love), apprécier often implies a more considered judgment or a deeper sense of valuing, rather than just a simple liking. It carries a connotation of discerning taste or recognition of quality.

💡 * J'apprécie beaucoup votre aide. (I really appreciate your help.)

• Nous apprécions la beauté de ce paysage. (We appreciate the beauty of this landscape.)
• Elle apprécie la bonne cuisine. (She enjoys good food.)
• Les critiques ont apprécié son dernier film. (The critics appreciated/valued his latest film.)
• Il n'apprécie pas qu'on le dérange. (He doesn't appreciate being disturbed.)

The 'to have a soft spot for' or 'to be fond of' – avoir un faible pour

To express 'to have a soft spot for' or 'to be fond of' in French, the most common and idiomatic phrase is avoir un faible pour.

Literally, avoir un faible pour translates to 'to have a weakness for'. This 'weakness' implies a particular fondness, an affection, or a preference for something or someone that you might not logically explain or control.

When used for people, it means you're particularly fond of them, perhaps you find them charming, or you tend to be more lenient or affectionate towards them. It's a gentle form of liking, not necessarily passionate love.

For objects, activities, or concepts, avoir un faible pour means you have a strong preference or a particular enjoyment of them. For instance, you might have a soft spot for a certain type of food, music, or a hobby.

This expression carries a warm, slightly endearing connotation. It's commonly used in everyday conversation and is generally considered informal to semi-formal, suitable for a wide range of contexts.

💡 *J'ai un faible pour les chocolats belges. (I have a soft spot for Belgian chocolates.)*Elle a toujours eu un faible pour les chats errants. (She has always had a soft spot for stray cats.)*Mon grand-père a un faible pour les vieilles chansons françaises. (My grandfather has a soft spot for old French songs.)*Il a un faible pour sa nièce, il lui pardonne tout. (He has a soft spot for his niece, he forgives her everything.)*Nous avons un faible pour cette petite boulangerie du quartier. (We have a soft spot for this little neighborhood bakery.)

Are there other ways to say 'to love' in French?

Are there other ways to say “to love” in French?

Our list features the most common ways to say “to love” in French. But the French language, renowned for its romance, offers a rich tapestry of expressions, from classic to poetic, regional to modern slang, that capture the many facets of love.

You can also do an online search for “comment dire aimer en ___” followed by a specific Francophone country or region to discover local nuances.

You might find some interesting synonyms or idiomatic expressions for aimer on this list. Of course, make sure to check a word’s definition and try to see it used in context before you use it.

Pay attention as you read, watch, and listen to things in French — you may discover beautiful and varied ways to talk about love.

And if you’re looking for ways to express different kinds of love, or words about romance and affection in French, the WordReference entry for aimer is an excellent place to start!

I hope you found this article helpful in exploring the French vocabulary of love. Here’s a beautiful quote to finish it with, courtesy of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: "Aimer, ce n'est pas se regarder l'un l'autre, c'est regarder ensemble dans la même direction." (To love is not to look at each other, it is to look together in the same direction.)