J'adore | Meaning & Audio Examples - All About French

all about french

• FRENCH VOCABULARY ▾
  • FRENCH PHRASES
  • FRENCH IDIOMS
  • FRENCH SAYINGS
  • FRENCH QUOTES
• TELEGRAM CHANNEL
• 
• READING & LISTENING

TRANSLATION

PRONUNCIATION

HOW TO USE

EXAMPLE

Learn Frenchwith Audio Stories

Try for Free

HOME > FRENCH PHRASES

Discover the French word "J'adore"

On this page, we are going to show you everything you need to know about the basic word "J'adore". This include a detailed guide of what it is and how you can use it in a normal conversation with an audio example. And that's not all, we also added useful informations like slow pronunciation audio, dialogue example and more!

French to English translation

• 

  Translation : I love it

• 

  Register : Neutral - Basic

How to pronounce it?

Slow

Normal

• 

  IPA : / ʒadɔʁ /

Learn Frenchwith Audio Stories

Try for Free

J'adore meaning

Definition

The meaning of "J'adore" is a complex mix between "I really like" and "I love". We use it to express enjoyment about something or when we are asked about our preferences.

It will be more clear soon, but first, we need to clarify once and for all the "Does j'adore means I like or I love?" debate.

If you are talking about something (like hobbies, movies, food, etc.) there are 3 main options, in order:

1. Soft → J'aime bien → I kind of like it
2. Medium → J'aime → I like it
3. Strong → J'adore → I love it / I really like it / I'm fond of it

But if you are talking about someone, you have the same options BUT IN A DIFFERENT ORDER:

1. Soft → Je t'aime bien → I kind of like you
2. Medium → Je t'adore → I really like you ("Not romantically")
3. Strong → Je t'aime → I love you ("Romantically")

There are 3 important conclusions here.

First, in French "J'aime" isn't always the most powerful word, on the contrary of "Love" in English. When talking about something other than a person, "J'adore" has more power.

Secondly, when romance is involved, there is only one way to express it: "Je t'aime". Using "Je t'adore" doesn't imply romantic feelings but a strong appreciation instead. (e.g. good friends or family members)

Thirdly, adding "bien" (good) after "Je t'aime" doesn't imply a stronger "romantic love" feeling, as we might think at first. That's even the opposite: it means there is no romance involved, actually it's even weaker than saying "Je t'adore".

That's why it's so confusing for English speakers... but as long as you follow these rules, it will be fine.

How to use it

If someone asks you: "Do you like to read? " you can say "Oui, j'adore !" (Yes, I'm fond of it!). But if you are asked instead: "What do you like?" you can say "J'adore lire." (I'm fond of reading.)

Now, let's imagine you are visiting Paris and you see the Eiffel Tower for the first time, you might say: "J'adore !" (I love it!). You don't need to specify what you "adore", it's understandable with context.

Now let's see wider examples to make it crystal clear!

• I'm in love with you → Je t'aime
• I love playing basketball → J'adore jouer au basket
• I like eating fruits → J'aime manger des fruits
• I kind of like this music → J'aime bien cette chanson
• I kind of like her/him → Je l'aime bien
• I really like you, as a friend → Je t'adore, comme un(e) ami(e)
• I like you, as a friend → Je t'aime bien, comme un(e) ami(e)

Example in a dialogue

Dialogue

Tu aimes la pizza ?

Do you like pizza?

Non. Ce n'est pas mon truc, et toi ?

No. It's not my thing, and you?

J'adore !

I love it!

Learn French with Audio Stories

Learn French the easy way with our French - Englishparallel texts with slow French audio

Start Learning

← PREVIOUS

Je veux un été infini

BACK

To vocabulary list

NEXT →

C'est bizarre