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On this page, we are going to teach you everything you ever wanted to know about the basic word “J’adore”.
More precisely, this includes a full guide of what it is and how to use it in a conversation with an audio example. As well as the cool informations we added like slow pronunciation audio, dialogue example and more!
By the way, on this page you can find our others words tutorials plus the directory of all our French words guides on this page. Wishing you a good learning!
Slow pronunciation
Normal pronunciation
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:
But if you are talking about someone, you have the same options BUT IN A DIFFERENT ORDER:
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.
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!
Dialogue audio
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