Ils aiment discuter de ce film.

to like

Breakdown of Ils aiment discuter de ce film.

• ils: they
• ce: this
• de: about
• le film: the movie
• discuter: to talk

Questions & Answers about Ils aiment discuter de ce film.

What does ils refer to exactly? Is it only for males?

Ils is the subject pronoun for “they” when:

• the group is all male, or
• the group is mixed (at least one male in it).

If the group is only female, you would use elles instead:

• Ils aiment discuter de ce film. → a group of men or a mixed group
• Elles aiment discuter de ce film. → a group of only women

Why is it aiment and not aime or aimer?

Aimer is the infinitive (the basic dictionary form).
In the sentence, it is conjugated in the present tense with ils:

• j’aime
• tu aimes
• il / elle / on aime
• nous aimons
• vous aimez
• ils / elles aiment

Since the subject is ils, you need the 3rd person plural form: aiment.

Why is discuter in the infinitive form?

In French, when you say that someone likes doing something, you use:

aimer + infinitive

So you use:

• Ils aiment discuter… = They like to discuss / they enjoy discussing
• J’aime lire. = I like to read / I like reading
• Nous aimons voyager. = We like to travel

You do not conjugate discuter here; it stays in the infinitive because it depends on aiment.

Why do we need de after discuter? Can I say Ils aiment discuter ce film?

In everyday French, discuter almost always takes de before its object:

• discuter de quelque chose = to discuss / to talk about something

So you say:

• Ils aiment discuter de ce film. ✅

Saying discuter ce film is grammatically possible in very formal or literary French, but it is rare and sounds stiff. For learners, it’s safest to memorize:

discuter de + noun

Compare with English:

• English: discuss the film (no preposition)
• French: discuter de ce film (you must have de)

What is the difference between discuter de ce film and parler de ce film?

Both can translate as talk about this film, but there is a nuance:

• parler de ce film → simply talk about the film, mention it, chat about it.
• discuter de ce film → often suggests a bit more exchange of opinions, maybe a more focused conversation or even a debate.

In casual speech, you will hear parler de more often.
Your sentence could also be:

• Ils aiment parler de ce film. (totally correct)

Why is it ce film and not le film?

• ce film = this film / that film, pointing to a specific film in context (gesture, previous mention, etc.).
• le film = the film, more general or already clearly identified in the context.

So:

• Ils aiment discuter de ce film. → They like discussing this particular film.
• Ils aiment discuter du film. → They like discussing the film (the one already known in the context).

Both are possible; the choice depends on what you want to emphasize.

Does Ils aiment discuter de ce film mean they are doing it right now, or that they generally like to do it?

The French present tense can express both:

1. Habit / general preference

   • Ils aiment discuter de ce film.
     → They (generally) like discussing this film.

2. Ongoing action is usually expressed with Ils discutent de ce film (They are discussing this film), not with Ils aiment discuter…

So your sentence is mainly understood as a habitual preference, not as something happening at this moment.

How would I say “They don’t like discussing this film”?

Use ne … pas around the conjugated verb (aiment):

• Ils n’aiment pas discuter de ce film.

Structure:

• Ils (subject)
• n’… pas (negation)
• aiment (conjugated verb)
• discuter (infinitive)
• de ce film (what they discuss)

Remember that ne becomes n’ before a vowel sound (aiment).

Where would I put an adverb like souvent (often) in this sentence?

With aimer + infinitive, the most natural place for souvent is after the conjugated verb:

• Ils aiment souvent discuter de ce film. ✅

Other positions are possible but less neutral or can sound awkward for beginners. So use:

subject + aimer (conjugated) + adverb + infinitive + rest

How is this sentence pronounced, especially the link between Ils and aiment?

Key points:

• Ils aiment → there is a liaison:
  
  • pronounced roughly like [il zɛm] (you hear a z sound linking ils and aiment).
• discuter → final -er is pronounced like -é: [diskyte].
• de ce → often pronounced quickly like [də sə].
• film → the l is pronounced; final m just nasalizes the vowel slightly: [film].

So very roughly: [il zɛm diskyté də sə film].

How would the sentence change if the group was only women?

You only change the subject pronoun:

• Ils aiment discuter de ce film. → mixed group / all men
• Elles aiment discuter de ce film. → all women

The verb aiment stays exactly the same in spelling and pronunciation.