How to Say What You Like and Dislike in French: Expressing General Preferences
Learn to express general likes and dislikes in French with 'aimer', 'adorer', 'détester', and more. Give reasons and talk about food, activities, and more.
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In this lesson, you'll learn how to express general preferences in French—what you like, love, enjoy, don't like, or hate. Unlike talking about specific hobbies or activities, these expressions are about your overall tastes: foods, drinks, pastimes, and more. You'll use verbs like 'aimer', 'adorer', 'détester', and 'ne pas aimer', and you'll learn to give reasons with 'parce que'. By the end, you'll be able to say things like 'J'adore le café parce que ça me réveille' (I love coffee because it wakes me up). Let's get started!
By the end, you can…
- express general likes and dislikes using 'aimer', 'adorer', 'détester', and 'ne pas aimer'.
- give a simple reason for my preference using 'parce que'.
- talk about food, drinks, and activities I like or dislike.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
J'aime le café.
I like coffee.
zhem luh ka-feh
Use 'le' for masculine nouns. 'J'aime' is a general statement of liking.
J'adore le chocolat.
I love chocolate.
zha-dor luh sho-ko-la
'Adorer' is stronger than 'aimer' and means 'to love' or 'to adore'.
Je n'aime pas le thé.
I don't like tea.
zhuh nem pah luh teh
Negation: 'ne ... pas' around the verb. 'Je n'aime pas' is the standard way to say 'I don't like'.
Je déteste les épinards.
I hate spinach.
zhuh day-test lay zay-pee-nar
'Détester' means 'to hate' or 'to detest'. Use 'les' for plural nouns.
J'aime danser parce que c'est amusant.
I like dancing because it's fun.
zhem dahn-say par-suh seh ta-moo-zahn
'Parce que' means 'because'. 'C'est amusant' means 'it's fun'.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
To express likes and dislikes, use the verb 'aimer' (to like/love) followed by a noun with a definite article (le, la, l', les). For example: 'J'aime le café' (I like coffee), 'J'aime la musique' (I like music), 'J'aime les chats' (I like cats). To say you love something strongly, use 'adorer': 'J'adore le chocolat'. To say you don't like something, use 'ne pas aimer': 'Je n'aime pas le thé'. To say you hate something, use 'détester': 'Je déteste les épinards'. You can add a reason with 'parce que' + subject + verb: 'J'aime le café parce que ça me réveille' (I like coffee because it wakes me up).
When to use it
Use these expressions to talk about general preferences—things you like or dislike in general, not specific instances. For example, 'J'aime le café' means you like coffee in general, not that you like a particular cup right now. If you want to say you like something specific, you might use 'J'aime ce café' (I like this coffee). Also, note that 'aimer' can mean 'to love' when talking about people: 'J'aime Marie' means 'I love Marie'. But for things, it usually means 'like'. To avoid confusion, use 'adorer' for strong liking of things.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Tu aimes le café ?
Do you like coffee?tew em luh ka-fehOui, j'adore le café parce que ça me réveille.
Yes, I love coffee because it wakes me up.wee, zha-dor luh ka-feh par-suh sah muh ray-vayEt le thé ? Tu aimes ?
And tea? Do you like it?ay luh teh? tew em?Non, je n'aime pas le thé. Je préfère le café.
No, I don't like tea. I prefer coffee.nohn, zhuh nem pah luh teh. zhuh pray-fair luh ka-fehA little context goes a long way
In French, expressing likes and dislikes is often softened with qualifiers. For example, 'je n'aime pas trop' (I don't like it too much) or 'je n'aime pas vraiment' (I don't really like it) can make a dislike sound less blunt. When talking about food, many speakers prefer 'je n'aime pas' over 'je déteste', which can sound very strong. In Quebec, casual speech often uses 'j'aime ça' (I like that) and 'j'aime pas ça' (I don't like that), where 'ça' refers to the thing already mentioned; standard French typically uses 'j'aime' + noun, as in 'j'aime le café'.
One thing to watch for
Omitting the definite article after 'aimer', e.g., 'J'aime café'.
Try this instead: In French, you must use the definite article (le, la, l', les) with nouns after 'aimer' to express general preferences. So say 'J'aime le café' (I like coffee), not 'J'aime café'.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'I love chocolate' in French?
Show a sample answer
J'adore le chocolat.
'Adorer' is used for strong liking. 'Le chocolat' is masculine singular, so use 'le'.
2Translate: 'I don't like tea because it's bitter.'
Show a sample answer
Je n'aime pas le thé parce que c'est amer.
Negation 'ne ... pas' around 'aime'. 'Parce que' introduces the reason. 'Amer' means bitter.
3What is the difference between 'J'aime danser' and 'J'aime la danse'?
Show a sample answer
'J'aime danser' means 'I like to dance' (activity), while 'J'aime la danse' means 'I like dance' (the art form or general concept).
When you use a verb after 'aimer', it's an infinitive and means you like doing that action. When you use a noun, it's a general preference for the thing.
Use 'j'aime' + definite article + noun for general likes, 'je n'aime pas' for dislikes, 'j'adore' for strong likes, and 'je déteste' for strong dislikes. Add reasons with 'parce que'.
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