French word

affectionner

Pronunciation

IPA/afɛksjone/

Meaning

  • verblike

Example

Elle affectionne son chat.

She likes her cat.

Illustration for affectionner (like)

More examples

Il affectionne ce café du quartier.

He likes this neighborhood cafe.

Core concept

A calm, warm bond directed toward a person, animal, or thing.

Similar words

aimer: Have strong affection or deep fondness for someone.
apprécier: Recognize someone's qualities and regard them favorably.
avoir de l'affection pour: Feel gentle affection and warmth toward someone.
tenir à: Care about someone and value the relationship.

Definition in French

Porter de l'affection à quelqu'un, à un animal ou à une chose.

Word origin

Affectionner is formed in French from affection with a verb-forming ending; affection ultimately comes from Latin affectio.

Usage tips

  • Affectionner takes a direct object with no preposition, as in affectionner son chat, and can sound more formal than aimer bien.

Other meanings

  • be attached to ___verb
  • be fond of ___verb

Opposites

Related words

  • affectionaffectionnoun
  • affectionnéaffectionateadjective

Word lists with this word