Kevin
January 31, 2021
Common Questions

This article will give you all of the necessary knowledge on the phrase j’adore, including its definition, origin, example sentences and more!

What does the word j’adore mean?

J’adore is a French word meaning “I adore.” Its intensity is somewhere between “I like” and “I love” and is a conjugation of the French verb “adorer,” which means “to adore.” According to All About French, there are many complexities to consider when using adorer and aimer, the French verb meaning “to like or to love.” Some may find it difficult to determine if j’adore means “I like” or “I love,” but in actuality it is somewhere in between.

If someone is talking about a thing, like a food or a film, they can use one of the below:

J’aime bien – “I sort of like it”
J’aime – “I like it”
J’adore – “I really like it” or “I love it”

Here, adding “bien” to the end of the phrase weakens it. Bien directly translates to good, and is the English equivalent of saying “I like it okay,” or “I like it alright,” implying that it could be better. Here, j’adore is the highest level of intensity. However, when it comes to people, the order switched.

Je t’aime bien – “I sort of like you” or “I like you okay”
Je t’adore – “I really like you, as a friend”
Je t’aime – “I love you, romantically”

Here, je t’aime is the highest level of intensity. One would use this with a romantic partner to express love. However, with a good friend, one would use je t’adore. This may be confusing for English speakers, but one simply needs to be cognizant if they are speaking about a thing or a person to ensure they are using j’adore correctly.

J’adore can either be followed by a noun or not. If Frenchmen ask you if you like something, it is perfectly acceptable to say, “Oui, j’adore!” or “Yes, I love it!” J’adore can also be followed be a noun or verb, like “j’adore danser” to say “I’m fond of dancing,” or “j’adore les chiens” to say “I’m fond of dogs.”

J’adore can also refer to a couple of other proper nouns, according to Find Words. It can refer to a 1928 collection of French language essays by Jean Desbordes, or a Romanian magazine established in 2004. Its most famous usage is the Dior fragrance J’Adore created in 1999 by Calice Becker. This name is a pun on the brand name Dior, and forms a rhyme in many of their “J’Adore Dior” marketing campaigns.

What are other forms of the word j’adore?

J’adore is the first person present conjugation of the French verb adorer. This means that it is the “I” form of the verb, and means “I love” or “I adore.” All of the conjugations of the verb alongside its translations are below, from Thought Co.

J’adore – First Person Present – “I adore”
Tu adores – Second Person Singular Present – “You adore”
Il/Elle adore – Third Person Singular Present – “He/she adores”
Nous adorons – Collective Present – “We adore”
Vous adorez – Second Person Plural Present – “You all adore”
Ils/Elles adorent – Third Person Plural Present – “They or they all adore”

Similarly to how the end of verbs change in English, they change in French. You would not say “you adores” in English, and cannot say “tu adorons” in French!

What is the origin of the word j’adore?

The word adore was created in the late 14th century, and comes from the Old French aorer meaning “to worship” or “to praise.” This stems from the latin adorare, meaning “to speak to formally” or “to worship.” Its usage to mean “to honor highly” began in the 1590s, and its weakened modern meaning “to be fond of” came to popularity in the 1880s, according to Etymonline.

How can j’adore be used in a sentence?

J’adore can either be used to refer to things or people. When French people use it to speak about things, it shows a high intensity of fondness for what is being spoken about.

J’adore les chats. – I love cats.
J’adore cette chanson – I love this song.
J’adore courir – I love running.

In all of these circumstances when using j’adore to refer to a thing, it means “I love.” However, when using it to refer to a person, it means “I really like.”

J’adore mon nouveau colocataire – I really like my new roommate.
J’adore mon docteur – I really like my doctor.
J’adore mon amie Alice. Elle me manque. – I adore my friend Alice. I miss her.

Here, the word j’adore is not as strong as it is when referring to an object. If someone wanted to say they love a person romantically, they would use the verb aimer and say “j’aime” to refer to l’amour.

What are synonyms for j’adore?

J’adore in English can mean “I like” or “I love,” directly translating to “I adore.” In French, a similar phrase is “aime beaucoup,” which means “really like.” There are many synonyms for the word adore below, from Thesaurus.

Admire
Cherish
Delight in
Fall for
Idolize
Revere
Worship
Esteem
Exalt
Homor
Treasure
Venerate

Many romance languages have similar ways to say j’adore. Translations from Google Translate are below in a few of these languages.

Spanish – Yo adoro
Portuguese – Eu adoro
Italian – Io Adoro

Overall, the word j’adore is a French phrase meaning “I like” or “I love,” directly translating to “I adore.” The word can be used to refer to things and people with different intensities of fondness, so one should think carefully when using the phrase j’adore. J’Adore is also a popular perfume from the brand Dior, and is a play on words of the brand’s name.

Sources:

Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do's and don'ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.