Le 14 février, c’est
La Saint Valentin, la fête de l’amour et des amoureux. Careful though – unlike
English cultures, Valentine’s Day in France is only for people “in” love, not
just loving/friendship gestures.
In France, school
children do not give a Valentine to
all their friends and family. If they have a special “love” interest (un
amoureux, une amoureuse) and if they are not shy, they might, but it’s quite
different from the US on this aspect.
Otherwise,
Valentine’s Day in France is celebrated a bit like it is in the rest of the
world – chocolates, roses, jewels for the wealthiest…a romantic restaurant or
evening…Sometimes a card, but much less than in English cultures and again,
only for romantic interests.
So, don’t go about
sending all your French friends a friendly Valentine’s Day card, they may get
the wrong impression!
The verb AIMER
means a lot of things in French: to like, to enjoy, to love, as well as to be
in love. It is very important that you know how to use it correctly so you
avoid embarrassing mistakes. For example:
1. To say to like or enjoy something or
someone, use the verb AIMER with an adverb.
- J’aime bien Mary - I like Mary (“like” for
friendship)
- J’amie beaucoup Mary – I like Mary a lot ( friendship)
- Je t’aime bien – I like you
2. When you use the construction AIMER +
person’s name, without any adverb, it means you are in love with that person.
- J’aime Mary – I am in love with Mary (love)
- Je ne t’aime pas – I am not in love with
you
EXCEPTION
You can use AIMER
without an adverb with your immediate family (parents, siblings, children,
pets) to say that you love them, but NEVER with your friends.
Contrast:
Je
l‘aime – I’m in love with him/her
Je
l’aime bien – I like him/her
French Love
Vocabulary
·
L’amour
– love
·
L’amitié
– friendship
·
Je
t’aime – I live you (using tu)
·
Je
vous aime – I am in love with you (using vous)
·
Je
l’aime – I am in love with him/her
·
Je
suis amoureux / amoureuse de toi, lui, elle, vous…- I am in love with you, him,
her, you
·
Tomber
amoureux / amoureuse – to fall in love (not tomber
en amour which is used in Canadian French but not in France)
·
Est-ce
que tu veux sortir avec moi? – would you like to go out with me
·
A kiss
– un baiser, un bisou
·
To
kiss – embrasser, s’embrasser
·
Les
fiancailles – engagement
·
Se
fiancer – to get engaged
·
Un
fiancé / une fiancée – someone you are engaged to
·
Joyeuse
Saint Valentin – Happy Valentine’s Day
·
Tu
veux etre mon valentine / ma valentine? Would you be my valentine?
French Love Nicknames
As
in other languages, French has its own little words or names to call a love
one.
·
Mon
amour – my love
·
Mon
ange – my angel
·
Mon
trésor – my treasure
·
Mon coeur
– my heart
·
Mon
chou – my sweet bun (Un chou a la crème is a cream filled pastry) – “mon petit
chou” is also quite common
·
Mon lapin
– my rabbit
·
Mon
poussin – my chick
·
Mon
chéri / Ma chérie – my darling
Joyeuse
Saint Valentin!!!
