How to Say I Love You in French, and Other Words of Affection
Updated July 2, 2026
To say I love you in French you say je t'aime, and to say you merely like someone you soften it to je t'aime bien. Here are the ways to express love and affection in French.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| je t'aime | I love you |
| je t'adore | I adore youwarm, romantic or friendly |
| je t'aime bien | I like youfriendlier and weaker than je t'aime |
| tu me manques | I miss youliterally you are missing to me |
| mon amour | my love |
| mon chéri | my darling (to a male)ma chérie to a female |
| tu es belle | you are beautiful (to a female)tu es beau to a male |
| mon cœur | my heart, sweetheart |
| bisous | kisses, a casual affectionate sign-off |
Want these to stick? Hear them in real context: LingoBinge surfaces words like these while you watch French shows on Netflix, and saves them for spaced review.
Hear them in: The Hook Up Plan, Notre-Dame.
Frequently asked questions
- How do you say I love you in French?
- The romantic I love you is je t'aime. To express a lighter, friendly liking, add bien: je t'aime bien means I like you, which is notably weaker than je t'aime.
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