Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| je | /ʒə/ /ʒ/ (informal) |
| moi | /mwa/ /mwe/ |
In French, the way you say "I" depends on the grammatical role the word plays in the sentence. Use je as the subject performing an action, and use moi as a stressed pronoun to provide emphasis or when used after prepositions. In colloquial spoken French, you may frequently hear people combine them into the pattern Moi, je… (Me, I…) to place extra emphasis on themselves.
Which one should you use?
je is the subject pronoun used directly before a verb, whereas moi is a stressed pronoun used for emphasis or following a preposition.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, people often use moé in informal contexts instead of je.
How does it change in a sentence?
While moi is used for emphasis, note that the unstressed object pronoun me is used in sentences where "me" is the object, such as Il me voit (He sees me).
How do you pronounce it?
/ʒə/
Did you know?
- The Latin ancestor of 'je', 'egō̆', is the direct root of the English word 'ego', which refers to one's sense of self.
- In very formal or poetic French, the word order can shift so that je appears after the verb in questions, such as Que fais-je ?
- To agree with a negative statement like 'I don't like that', a French speaker says Moi non plus rather than using je.
Examples in context
- Moi non plus !Neither am I!This sentence is useful for expressing agreement with a negative statement using moi.Tatoeba #1156781 by sacredceltic, translation #1349966 by sacredceltic
- Je suis né là.I was born there.This sentence demonstrates the use of je as the subject of the sentence.Tatoeba #1246591 by sacredceltic, translation #1211854 by CM
- Je vis à Tokyo.I live in Tokyo.Tatoeba #14429 by Aiji, translation #279745 by CK
- Je suis un étudiant très motivé.I am a very motivated student.
- Je suis ravi de faire votre connaissance.I am pleased to meet you.
- Moi, je suis prêt à relever tous les défis.As for me, I am ready to face any challenge.
- Je suis fatigué aujourd'hui.I am tired today.
- J'ai beaucoup de devoirs à faire.I have a lot of homework to do.
- Moi, je veux aller au cinéma.I want to go to the movies.
- 14195 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Nathan are meeting for the first time.
- LéaBonjour, je m'appelle Léa.Hello, my name is Léa.
- NathanEnchanté, je suis Nathan.Nice to meet you, I am Nathan.
- LéaJe suis étudiante ici.I am a student here.
- NathanMoi aussi, je suis étudiant.Me too, I am a student.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I” translations and entries je, moi, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries je, moi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
