Tomber amoureux

Tomber amoureux
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French Expression

Meaning to fall in love
Literally to fall loving
Register normal
Pronunciation French sound files [to(n) bay ah moo reuh]
IPA   [tɔ̃ be a mu rø]

Usage notes: In French, falling in love is expressed as tomber amoureux – literally, "to fall loving."

 Not tomber en amour

Rather than expressing love as something that you fall into physically, as in English, tomber amoureux describes love as a state of being – or rather, a state of loving.

Par exemple…

Je tombe amoureux de Dominique.   I’m falling in love with Dominique.
Elle va tomber amoureuse de toi.   She’s going to fall in love with you.
Quand est-ce que tu es tombé amoureux de ta femme ?   When did you fall in love with your wife?

 Grammar notes

  • Like other adjectives, amoureux has to agree with the word it modifies.
  • De is equivalent to "with" here and can be followed by a noun, name, or stressed pronoun.
  • As always, tomber requires être as its auxiliary verb in compound tenses.

French love language Variations

  • tomber éperdument amoureux (de) – to fall hopelessly in love (with)
  • tomber follement amoureux (de) – to fall madly in love (with)

Related expressions

 Related lessons

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Tomber amoureux - to fall in love

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