Learn French: J'aime la glace.

J'aime la glace.

I like ice cream.

Breakdown of J'aime la glace.

aimer

to like, to love

la glace

the ice cream; the ice

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Questions & Answers about J'aime la glace.

Why is it J'aime instead of Je aime?

In French, when a short word like je ends in an 'e' and the next word starts with a vowel, the 'e' is dropped and replaced with an apostrophe. This is called elision, and it makes the words flow more smoothly when spoken.

Why do we say la glace instead of just glace?

In English, we talk about general categories without a 'the' (like saying 'I like ice cream'). In French, whenever you talk about your general preferences using verbs like aimer (to like) or détester (to hate), you must always use the definite article (le, la, or les).

Doesn't glace just mean 'ice'?

It can mean 'ice', 'ice cream', or even a 'mirror'! You have to use context to tell them apart. Since this sentence expresses a common food preference, 'ice cream' is the most natural translation here.

Does aimer mean 'to like' or 'to love'?

It depends on what you are talking about! With objects, food, and activities, aimer means 'to like'. If you want to say you 'love' a food, you would use the verb adorer instead. However, when talking about people or pets, aimer means 'to love'.