17 beautiful French love quotes and sayings

Often referred to as the "language of love," French has long been known for its inherent beauty and romantic allure. The melodic rhythm and expressive vocabulary of the French language have captivated the hearts and minds of people all over the world, making it a popular choice for expressing one's feelings of love and affection.

The importance of love in French culture

Love holds a special place in French culture. Throughout history, French literature, art, and music have celebrated the concept of love, exploring its many facets and complexities. The French are renowned for their passion and appreciation for love, and this is reflected in the countless love quotes and sayings that have emerged from their rich cultural heritage. In this article, we will delve into the world of French love quotes and sayings, exploring their beauty and significance.

Victor Hugo

• "Aimer, c'est agir." ("To love is to act.")
• "La vie est une fleur dont l’amour est le miel" ("Life is a flower, of which love is the honey.")
• "Aimer, c’est vivre; aimer, c’est voir; aimer, c’est être." ("Love, it is life; love, it is sight; love, is to be.")

Victor Hugo, a revered French Romantic writer and politician, is celebrated for his enduring literary masterpieces such as The Hunchback of Notre-Dame and Les Misérables, as well as his poetry collections and plays, which established him as a national hero and a leading figure of the Romantic movement, ultimately evolving from a royalist to a passionate republican throughout his life.

Gustave Flaubert

• "Oh ! Si tu pouvais lire dans mon coeur, tu verrais la place où je t’ai mise!" ("Oh! If you could read my heart, you would see the place that I keep you!")

Gustave Flaubert, a renowned French novelist, was a leading proponent of literary realism, known for his debut novel Madame Bovary, his extensive correspondence, and his unwavering dedication to style and aesthetics, ultimately mentoring the celebrated short story writer Guy de Maupassant.

Albert Camus

• "C’est cela l’amour, tout donner, tout sacrifier sans espoir de retour." ("That is love, to give away everything, to sacrifice everything, without the slightest desire to get anything in return.")
• "L’amour est comme le vent, nous ne savons pas d’où il vient." ("Love is like the wind, we don’t know from where it comes.")

Albert Camus, a French philosopher, author, dramatist, and journalist, was the second-youngest recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature at age 44, known for his works such as The Stranger and The Plague, and his significant contributions to the philosophy of absurdism.

Charles Baudelaire

• "Elle avait dans les yeux, la force de son coeur. ("She had in her eyes, the force of her heart.")

Charles Baudelaire, a French poet and essayist, was known for his groundbreaking work, Les Fleurs du mal, which captured the evolving beauty of 19th-century Paris, and his influence on a generation of poets like Verlaine and Rimbaud, ultimately pioneering the concept of modernity in artistic expression.

George Sand

• "Il n’y a qu’un bonheur dans la vie, c’est d’aimer et d’être aimé" ("There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved.")

George Sand, born Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin, was a prolific French novelist, memoirist, and journalist who gained immense popularity in Europe during her lifetime. Recognized as a prominent figure of the Romantic era, she authored over 50 volumes of diverse works, including tales, plays, and political texts. Sand was an advocate for women's rights and passionately challenged societal norms, following in the footsteps of her great-grandmother, Louise Dupin.

Maurice Scève

• "En sa beauté gît ma mort et ma vie." ("In her beauty reside my death and my life.")

Maurice Scève, a French poet active during the Renaissance period, played a central role in the Lyonnese coterie, which focused on the concept of spiritual love, and authored notable works such as Délie, objet de plus haulte vertu, Arion, La Saulsaye, and Microcosme, elevating French poetry to new aesthetic standards.

Lamartine

• "Un seul être vous manque et tout est dépeuplé" ("You miss just one person and and everything is depopulated.")

Alphonse de Lamartine, a prominent French author, poet, and statesman, played a crucial role in establishing the Second Republic and ensuring the Tricolore remained the national flag of France.

Alfred de Musset

• "Le seul vrai langage au monde est un baiser" ("The only true language in the world is a kiss.")

Alfred de Musset was a renowned French dramatist, poet, and novelist, best known for his poetry and the autobiographical novel "La Confession d'un enfant du siècle" (The Confession of a Child of the Century).

Paul Élard

• "Une femme est plus belle que le monde où je vis, et je ferme les yeux." ("A woman is more beautiful than the world in which I live, and so I close my eyes.")

Paul Éluard, a founding member of the Surrealist movement, was a renowned French poet celebrated for his anti-Nazi poems during World War II and widely known as The Poet of Freedom, considered the most gifted among French surrealist poets.

Rosemonde Gérard

• "Car, vois-tu, chaque jour je t’aime davantage, aujourd’hui plus qu’hier et bien moins que demain." ("or, you see, each day I love you more, today more than yesterday and less than tomorrow.")

Rosemonde Gérard, a French poet and playwright, is best known for her heartfelt lines expressing ever-growing love, which gained popularity through engraved medallions created by a Lyonnais jeweler.

Anna de Noailles

• "Il n’est rien de réel que le rêve et l’amour" ("Nothing is real but dreams and love.")

Anna de Noailles, a French writer and poet of Romanian and Greek descent, was celebrated as one of the finest poets of her time and mingled with the artistic and literary elite of early 20th-century Paris.

Pierre de Ronsard

• "Amour veut tout sans nombre, amour n’a point de loi." ("Love wants everything without condition, love has no law.")

Marceline Desbordes-Valmore

• "Entre deux cœrs qui s’aiment, nul besoin de paroles." ("Between two hearts in love, no words are needed.")

Francis Cabrel

• "Je viens du ciel et les étoiles entre elles ne parlent que de toi." ("I come from the sky, and the stars only ever speak of you.")

Popular French love phrases used today

• "Je t'aime" ("I love you")
• "Mon amour" ("My love")
• "Mon trésor" ("My treasure")
• "Ma moitié" ("My other half")
• "Mon cœur" ("My heart")

French expressions about love

• "Coup de foudre" - Describes the feeling of love at first sight, literally "a strike of lightning."
• "L'amour fou" - Describes an all-consuming, passionate love, literally "crazy love."
• "Vivre d'amour et d'eau fraîche" - A romantic expression suggesting that love and simple things in life are enough for happiness, literally "to live on love and fresh water."

As you can see, the French language offers a treasure trove of beautiful and romantic love quotes and sayings that have touched hearts for centuries. By sharing these expressions with your loved ones, you can deepen your connection and appreciation for the beauty of the French language and culture.