Je suis là
The phrase 'I am here' in French is Je suis là.
Je suis là is used to announce your arrival at a destination and to signal your presence in a conversation or a room.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, the phrase translates to 'I am there' because là means 'there'.
Which one should you use?
While Je suis ici is a literal translation of 'I am here', Je suis là is much more common in natural spoken French to indicate one's presence.
Did you know?
- In spoken French, the phrase Je suis là can be used as a comforting way to say 'I am with you' or 'I am supporting you' during a difficult time.
- In French, the word suis actually shares a history with the word 'was' rather than 'am'. The form evolved from an influence by the Latin word fuī, which means 'I was'.
- In very informal spoken French, the Je is often dropped or blended, making the phrase sound like Chuis là.
Examples in context
- Je suis là maintenant.I am here now.Tatoeba #11649929 by Aiji, translation #4751751 by Barra
- Je suis là.I am here.Tatoeba #1881929 by zague, translation #2778806 by CK
- Madame, je suis ici pour présenter mon projet.Madam, I am here to present my project.
- Bonjour, je me trouve ici pour mon rendez-vous.Hello, I am here for my appointment.
- Salut tout le monde, je suis là!Hey everyone, I am here!
Example conversation
Lucas arrives at the apartment to meet Chloé.
- LucasChloé, Je suis là !Chloé, I am here!
- ChloéAh, tu es enfin arrivé.Ah, you have finally arrived.
- LucasDésolé, il y avait beaucoup de trafic.Sorry, there was a lot of traffic.
- ChloéCe n'est pas grave, entre.It's not a problem, come in.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries je, là, suis, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
