me voici
The English phrase "here I am" is translated into French as me voici.
Me voici is used to announce your arrival or your presence when appearing before someone.
Which one should you use?
While je suis ici literally translates to "I am here" and is used to locate yourself in space, me voici is used specifically to announce your presence or arrival in a more immediate way.
How does it change in a sentence?
In modern spoken French, me voilà is a common synonym for me voici and the two are often used interchangeably to mean "here I am".
Did you know?
- The word voici is actually a command, combining the imperative form of 'to see' with the word for 'here'. It essentially tells the listener 'look at me here'.
- While me voici and me voilà both mean 'here I am', voici specifically points to something near the speaker and voilà points to something further away.
- French speakers use voici and voilà as a pair to introduce two different items in a single sentence.
Examples in context
- Me voici à nouveau.Here I am again.This sentence shows how to use me voici to say you have arrived again.Tatoeba #4541915 by sacredceltic, translation #3765039 by cromwellt
- Me voici.Here I am.This is a simple way to use me voici.Tatoeba #1112332 by sacredceltic, translation #1540806 by CK
- Et l’ange de Dieu me dit en songe : Jacob ! Je répondis : Me voici ! Il dit : Lève les yeux, et regarde : tous les boucs qui couvrent les brebis sont rayés, tachetés et marquetés, car j’ai vu tout ce que te fait Laban.And the angel of God said to me in my sleep: Jacob. And I answered: Here I am. And he said: Lift up thy eyes, and see that all the males leaping upon the females are of divers colours, spotted and speckled. For I have seen all that Laban hath done to thee.This example shows a use of the phrase me voici to signal one's presence to a divine messenger.Tatoeba #8088457 by Micsmithel, translation #7825963 by carlosalberto
- Bonsoir, me voiciGood evening, here I am
- Pardon de vous déranger, mais me voiciExcuse me for interrupting, but here I am
- Je suis présent(e) pour la réunionI am here for the meeting
- Salut, me voilàHi, here I am
- Salut, je suis làHi, I am here
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa enters the room to find Hugo looking for her.
- LéaMe voici !Here I am!
- HugoAh, te voilà enfin.Ah, there you are at last.
- LéaTu me cherchais ?Were you looking for me?
- HugoOui, j'avais besoin de toi.Yes, I needed you.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries me, voici, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
