Published August 11, 2025 — By French teacher David Issokson with native audio by Marie Assel Cambier
Aimer — Meaning and Pronunciation
Aimer means “to like” or “to love” in French. Its meaning depends on context: when talking about people, aimer usually means “to love,” while with things or activities, it means “to like.” Adding bien softens the meaning to “like” (e.g., j’aime bien ce film – I like this movie).
The IPA pronunciation of aimer is /e.me/, which sounds approximately like “ay-may”.
Example Sentences
J’aime passer du temps avec mes amis le week-end.
I like spending time with my friends on the weekend.
👉 See also: Passer conjugation »
Il aime bien cet hôtel, mais il préfère l’autre.
He likes this hotel, but he prefers the other one.
J’aime bien mon collègue, il est très sympa.
I like my colleague; he’s very nice.
Tu sais que je t’aime, n’est-ce pas ?
You know I love you, don’t you?
J’ai toujours aimé apprendre de nouveaux mots.
I’ve always loved learning new words.
💬 Related words & expressions
Synonyms & Variants
- kiffer – to like
- adorer – to adore / to really like
- apprécier – to appreciate / to enjoy
- raffoler de – to be crazy about
- préférer – to prefer
- chérir – to cherish
Common Phrases with aimer
- je t’aime – I love you
- aimer bien – to like (less intense than aimer)
- aimer mieux – to prefer / would rather
- faire aimer – to make someone like (something or someone)
- se faire aimer – to make oneself liked
- n’aimer pas trop – to not like very much
Related Emotional Vocabulary
- l’amour – love
- amoureux/amoureuse – in love
- aimable – kind / likeable
- l’ami / l’amie – friend
- l’âme sœur – soulmate
📚 Related lessons
👉 Aimer conjugation »
👉 Je t’aime (I love you) »
👉 Je t’aime… moi non plus »
👉 Je t’aimais, je t’aime et je t’aimerai (song) »
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