Like, love, and too much: What’s the difference between “J’aime”, “J’aime bien”, and “J’adore”?

Even if you’re just starting out in your French learning journey, you’ve probably come across the phrases j’aime, j’aime bien, and j’adore.

Although they have a similar overall meaning, these three phrases have important, often subtle differences, especially when it comes to talking about romantic love.

Let’s learn more about the difference between aimer, aimer bien, and adorer.

What’s the difference between “j’aime”, “j’aime bien”, and “j’adore”?

Je t’aime is the standard way to say “I love you” in French.

While it might seem like Je t’aime bien takes “I love you” a step further, this phrase actually means “I like you”.

As for Je t’adore, well, it’s a bit too over-the-top for most French declarations of love.

J’aime, j’aime bien, and j’adore also vary in meaning when it comes to talking about liking things, ideas, and places.

Usually, j’aime will mean you love or like something. J’aime bien will either mean you enjoy something or think something is okay (but not the best). And j’adore will seem like an overly enthusiastic response to just about anything.

Let’s explore each of these phrases a little further!

What does Je t’aime mean?

Je t’aime means “I love you” in French.

It’s the most common way to express this feeling. Je t’aime can be used in formal or informal language.

Like “I love you” in English, Je t’aime can also be used to say you love a family member or very close friend (Just be careful they don’t think you mean it romantically!).

If you want to say “I love you” to a group of people – for instance, your whole family – use the plural object pronoun for “you”, vous, instead of the singular one (te). Like so: Je vous aime.

Note that you may also see Je vous aime – “I love you” using the formal form of “you” – used in situations where the object of someone’s romantic love is not well-known to them, or someone they address formally. This is a pretty rare circumstance today, though. You’ll mostly come across it in old novels or historical films or books.

What does J’aime mean?

The French verb aimer can mean “to love” or “to like”. So it can be used to express love for someone or something, or simply to show that you like someone or something.

This may seem confusing, but believe it or not, it generally doesn’t pose too much of a problem. If I say J’aime lire, people will understand that I like to read, and that’s usually good enough.

But what if I want to emphasize that I really, really love reading? In that case, it’s often best to use another expression entirely.

A common choice would be to être passionné(e) par. For example, Je suis passionnée par la lecture. (I really love reading./I’m passionate about reading/Reading is my passion.) This type of expression is even more effective when passionné(e) is a noun, like so: Je suis une passionnée de lecture.

You could also use different vocabulary. For example, Je suis un rat de bibliothèque (I’m a bookworm) is another option.

In more informal speech, you could also say Je suis fan de + something: Je suis fan de la lecture. (I love to read/I’m a fan of reading.) or even Je suis très fan de la lecture. (I’m a big fan of reading.), although these two phrases may not be understood by some elderly French people. They’re also likely looked down upon by l’Académie Française, since they use a borrowed English word. Still, despite this, most French people I know use them in their everyday speech.

Speaking of borrowed words, while most French people will use the English word “like” when it comes to internet “likes” on certain sites and social media platforms, the French equivalent to this is J’aime.

What does Je t’aime bien mean?

Bien means “well” or “good”. So it would make sense that Je t’aime bien is even better than saying Je t’aime, right? Unfortunately, languages don’t always make sense. And so,  in French, paradoxically, Je t’aime bien means “I like you”, not “I love you so  much.”

British comedian Paul Taylor has a great theory about Je t’aime bien that truly made me laugh when I first heard it. For him, it’s a way for the French to maintain dignity in case they see that the person they’re trying to declare their love to doesn’t feel the same way!  I highly recommend watching his delightful, NSFW video about romance in France (the aimer bien part is at the 2:10 minute mark).

But all joking aside, I think the fact that Je t’aime bien expresses a love that’s less strong than the simple Je t’aime, gives us an important insight about French culture.

In general, French people tend not to like big, overt displays of emotion. They find them insincere or silly. And so, a simple Je t’aime gets to the heart of things, if you will. There’s no need for any additional words if you truly love someone.

But what if you don’t want to let someone down easy, and really want to show how deeply you value their friendship? Can you still use aimer bien? I’ve heard French people use aimer bien to show that they really appreciate a good friend. But more commonly, if you want to tell someone you like them in a non-romantic way in French, the best way to express this is probably to simply say why you like them. For example, Tu es un bon ami (You’re a good friend) or Je m’amuse toujours quand on est ensemble (I always have fun when we’re together).

You may be wondering if adding any adverb to Je t’aime makes the statement less strong. As this interesting comments thread points out, although that can be true with certain ones, like bien and beaucoup, for many others, that’s not the case at all. For instance, Je t’aime tellement and Je t’aime tant really do make je t’aime stronger. Both mean “I love you so much.” 

As a general rule, though, if you’re worried that your declaration of love might be misunderstood due to adverbs, don’t be – just keep things simple and say Je t’aime.

What does J’aime bien mean?

Using aimer bien with a person means that you like but don’t love them. But when you use aimer bien with a thing or activity, it’s roughly the same as saying J’aime.

For instance, J’aime cette robe means “I like this dress”.  J’aime bien cette robe, it also means “I like this dress”.

So why even use aimer bien? It seems to be a way to slightly emphasize the feeling of liking something, but not enough to make a huge difference. I think it also might have to do some sort of subconscious, sonority-related choice by native speakers, or maybe just someone being used to using it.

That being said, you don’t have to use aimer bien when talking about something you like, if you don’t want to. The biggest choice would have to be using aimer bien when telling someone how you feel about them!

What does Je t’adore mean?

Je t’adore literally means “I adore you.” This might make it seem like a good way to declare a deep feeling of love for someone, but in fact, the French preference for subtlety when it comes to feelings means that Je t’adore is a bit too over the top.

If you say Je t’adore to a French person, you’re likely to be met with suspicion, maybe even a bit of (secret) ridicule. So if you want to express that you deeply love someone, it’s best to stick with something like Je t’aime tellement, instead. And of course, for most French people, nothing beats the simple, sincere Je t’aime.

What does J’adore mean?

You may have come across the phrase J’adore used to express how much a person loves something. Many French people say this, especially in informal, everyday speech.

But be careful because it’s still perceived as a bit funny and not truly describing how you feel. After all, in a country that respects sincerity, saying J’adore tes chaussures (literally: I adore (in the sense of “worship”) your shoes) is going to seem a bit too much.

That’s why J’adore is generally used in a lighthearted or unimportant way, and is more informal, everyday speech, rather than formal or professional language.

Interestingly, the French often portray Anglo-Saxons, especially Americans, as saying J’adore about anything and anyone…and before I realized this, I have to admit that, in my case, they weren’t necessarily wrong! But then, am I wrong to find beauty and joy everywhere?  

This song by eccentric French music star Philippe Katerine is what I think goes through the mind of the average French person who hears someone – especially an enthusiastic American – say J’adore. 

So, no matter how much you adore this phrase, use it only in informal, lighthearted situations at best, never if you want to be serious. Even Dior’s J’adore perfume and ad campaign play with the phrase in native French-speaking markets, maybe implying, in a slightly tongue-in-cheek way, that the exaggeration is merited in this particular case.

What is the best way to say “I love you” in French?

Je t’aime, Je t’aime bien, and Je t’adore often come up when we talk about love in French. But as you’ve learned, only one of these is really a good way to express your love for someone if you want to be taken seriously. And that is the good old standard Je t’aime.

Here’s a comparison:

Phrase	What it means	How most French people interpret it
Je t’aime.	I love you.	Sincerely meant “I love you”
Je t’aime bien.	I like you.	Sincerely meant “I like you”, not love
Je t’adore.	I adore you.	Over-the-top and thus silly or insincere

Is it better to use J’aime, J’aime bien, or J’adore when talking about things, ideas, etc.?

Remember that as a general rule, aimer is the best way to go when it comes to talking about things, activities, etc., since it’s neutral and simple. Aimer bien is a close second.

Here’s a comparison:

Phrase	What it means	How most French people interpret it
J’aime ce film.	I like this movie	Generic statement of liking something
J’aime bien ce film.	I like this movie	Sincere appreciation
J’adore ce film.	I LOVE this movie	Over-the-top and thus a bit silly, possibly also insincere

So, if you want to be taken seriously, in most cases it’s best to simply use aimer or aimer bien. If you want to show that you REALLY love something and are sincere, consider using another type of phrasing altogether (être passionné(e) par, être fan de, etc.).

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I hope this guide to the difference between J’aime, J’aime bien, and J’adore has been helpful. Remember, when in doubt, a simple J’aime (or Je t’aime, in matters of romance) will usually work perfectly. For most French people, honesty and simplicity speak volumes.

If you want to feel more confident about expressing your feelings in French, the French Together app is a great way to learn and practice French as it’s spoken today. Feel free to sign up for a 7-day free trial!