J'aime que tu prennes ton temps.

Question

Am I correct that this can have two slightly different meanings in English: I like that you take your time and I like you to take your time? In the first instance, it is a fact that the person spoken to takes their time; in the second, the speaker is expressing a desire for continuing situation - taking time. (The second instance is different again from I would like you to take your time, which, I suppose, would be translated as J'aimerais que tu prennes ton temps).

Is this yet another example of how English is often better for expressing nuances, or is there an alternative way to clarify the difference in French?

Accepted Answer

In English, the ambiguity arises because "to like" can mean to enjoy something or to express a wish. In French this is not the case. "J'aime que tu prennes ton temps" is understood along the lines of "I enjoy that you're taking your time". If you want to have the English sentence be understood as a desire, you would say either "j'aimerais que tu prennes ton temps" or, even more clearly, "je voudrais que tu prennes ton temps".

Answer

Thanks, Chris. You've repeated what I suggested at the end of my first paragraph. Perhaps after all there is no difference in meaning (in English) between I like that you take your time and I like you to take your time. If there is, it's extremely subtle.