In survey after survey — our own included — French is voted the sexiest language in the world (sorry Russian, most people just can’t handle your rugged beauty). But the credit can’t all go to France! The language that makes so many of us swoon is spoken by roughly 300 million people in 29 countries, and that’s just counting the places where it’s an official language. While the French in France can lay claim to the most well-known way to say “I love you,” Africans and North Americans have their fair share of sultry pillow talk too. If you really want to talk about l’amour, you’ll be well-served to heed the example of French speakers in all of their internationally diverse glory. Here are our favorite French expressions about love.

International French Expressions About Love

France

Avoir un cœur d’artichaut

Literally: To have an artichoke’s heart
Actually: To fall in love easily and frequently

Quebec

Tomber en amour

Literally: To fall into love
Actually: To fall in love

Belgium

Être bleu de quelqu’un

Literally: To be blue about someone
Actually: To be crazy about someone

Cameroon

Glisser pour quelqu’un

Literally: To slip for someone
Actually: To fall in love with someone

France

Avoir un coup de foudre

Literally: To have a thunder-clap
Actually: To fall in love at first sight

Burkina Faso

Être kaoté

Literally: To be knock-outed
Actually: To fall madly in love

Haiti

Avoir un coup de soleil

Literally: To get sunburned
Actually: To have a crush on someone

Congo and Senegal

Être amouré

Literally: To be inloved
Actually: To be in love

France

Être fleur bleue

Literally: To be blue flower
Actually: To be romantic and sensitive

So which are your favorite French expressions about love? Are you knocked-out, thunderstruck, burnt to a crisp, or do you have an artichoke’s heart?

This article was updated with the assistance of AI.