Vouloir means "to want" and is used to express desire or intent. Aimer means "to love" (when referring to people) or "to like" (when referring to things), depending on context. Although both involve feelings, vouloir focuses on wanting something, while aimer expresses affection or preference.

Grammar

Here are the key points in French grammar for both verbs:

Vouloir is a regular -oir verb with an irregular stem (veu- or voul-) and follows standard conjugation patterns in the present, passé composé, and other tenses.
Aimer is a regular -er verb and follows the typical -er conjugation pattern.
When aimer refers to people, it usually implies love. For things or activities, it means "to like."
Vouloir can be followed by an infinitive to indicate wanting to do something (e.g., vouloir manger = to want to eat).
Both verbs agree with their subjects and sometimes require prepositions depending on the construction.

Examples

Here are some examples to illustrate usage:

French Example	English Example
Je veux un café.	I want a coffee.
Nous voulons partir tôt.	We want to leave early.
Elle aime sa mère.	She loves her mother.
J’aime le chocolat.	I like chocolate.
Tu veux sortir ?	Do you want to go out?
Ils aiment voyager.	They like to travel.
Je ne veux pas de sucre.	I don’t want sugar.
Il aime son chien.	He loves his dog.

Choose the correct French example: They like to travel.

Ils aimes voyager.

Ils aiment voyager.

Ils veulent voyager.

Ils aiment voyageront.

Ils aiment voyager.

"Ils aiment voyager." is correct because 'aiment' is the correct conjugation of aimer for 'ils,' and 'voyager' is the infinitive verb meaning 'to travel.'

Choose the correct French translation: "She loves her mother."

Elle veux sa mère.

Elle aime sa mère.

Elle veut sa mère.

Elle aime son père.

Elle aime sa mère.

"Elle aime sa mère." correctly uses aimer (to love) and the possessive pronoun 'sa' for 'her'.

Conjugations

Below are the present tense conjugations for both verbs:

Pronoun	vouloir (to want)	English	aimer (to love/like)	English
Je	veux	I want	aime	I love/like
Tu	veux	You want	aimes	You love/like
Il/Elle	veut	He/She wants	aime	He/She loves/likes
Nous	voulons	We want	aimons	We love/like
Vous	voulez	You want	aimez	You love/like
Ils/Elles	veulent	They want	aiment	They love/like

Flashcards (1 of 14)

English Example: I want a coffee.

Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025