J'ai faim
The English phrase 'I am hungry' is translated into French as J'ai faim.
To increase the intensity of the feeling, such as saying 'I am very hungry', you add an adverb like très or vraiment before the noun faim.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, the phrase translates to 'I have hunger'.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because this phrase uses the verb avoir (to have), you must use the first-person singular conjugation ai for 'I'.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying Je suis faim. English speakers often mistakenly try to use the verb être (to be) to translate the phrase, but this is grammatically incorrect in French.
Did you know?
- While J'ai faim is common, a person who is slightly hungry might say J'ai un petit creux, which literally means 'I have a little hollow'.
- To describe someone as 'starving', the French use the phrase avoir une faim de loup, which means 'to have the hunger of a wolf'.
- If you are extremely hungry, you might hear a French person say Je crève de faim. This translates literally to 'I am dying of hunger'.
Examples in context
- J'ai faim car je n'ai pas déjeuné.I am hungry because I did not eat lunch.This sentence is useful for explaining that you are hungry because you did not eat lunch.Tatoeba #127495 by pfif, translation #259470 by CK
- J'ai faim, je n'ai pas mangé depuis ce matin.I am hungry, have not had food since the morning.This sentence is useful for expressing hunger because you have not had food since the morning.Tatoeba #3937910 by Scorpionvenin14, translation #3937301 by User65345
- J'ai faim, car je n'ai pas pris mon petit déjeuner.I am hungry because I did not eat breakfast.This sentence is useful for explaining that you are hungry because you did not eat breakfast.Tatoeba #1970315 by nimfeo, translation #410664 by blay_paul
- Je suis affamé(e). Allons au restaurant !I am famished. Let's go to a restaurant!
- J'ai la dalle, mais je suis fatigué(e). On devrait commander des plats à emporter.I am starving, but I am tired. We should order takeout.
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Lucas are walking home from school.
- ManonJ'ai faim, on mange bientôt ?I am hungry, are we eating soon?
- LucasOui, je vais préparer un sandwich.Yes, I am going to make a sandwich.
- ManonGénial, j'ai vraiment très faim !Great, I am really very hungry!
- LucasD'accord, on arrive dans deux minutes.Okay, we will be there in two minutes.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
