je suis impressionné
The English phrase "I am impressed" is translated into French as je suis impressionné.
je suis impressionné is used to express admiration or respect for something that appears to be exceptional. You can intensify this feeling by placing words like vraiment, tellement or absolument before the verb. While the phrase is often used to comment on quality or achievement, the word impressionné can also describe being struck or impacted by a physical or psychological sensation. As an alternative, you might use the phrase cela m'impressionne to say "that impresses me".
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase typically follows the preposition par to indicate the cause of the impression. Note that the spelling changes based on the gender of the person speaking: if the speaker is female, the adjective must take an extra e at the end, becoming je suis impressionnée.
Did you know?
- If you use je suis impressionné to describe a person's skills, you might accidentally sound intimidated. In French, the word can imply that you feel small, nervous, or even overwhelmed by someone's presence.
- While English speakers use 'impressed' almost exclusively for positive admiration, the French impressionné can describe being struck by a jarring or unpleasant sensation. It can refer to a physical or psychological shock rather than just respect.
- The word suis in your phrase is a linguistic rebel that defies its own origin. While it comes from the Latin 'sum', its actual evolution in Old French was shaped by the past tense 'fuī' meaning 'I was'.
Examples in context
- Je suis impressionné par votre récente publicité dans le New York Times.I am impressed by your recent advertisement in the New York Times.This sentence shows how to use je suis impressionné to express admiration for an advertisement.Tatoeba #7466 by tabiste, translation #252690 by CK
- Je suis impressionné par son talent.I am impressed by her talent.
- Je suis impressionné par ce travail.I am impressed by this work.
Example conversation
Chloé and Hugo are looking at a painting Hugo created.
- ChloéTu as peint ça tout seul, Hugo ?Did you paint this all by yourself, Hugo?
- HugoOui, j'ai mis trois mois pour le finir.Yes, it took me three months to finish it.
- ChloéC'est magnifique, je suis impressionné !It's magnificent, I am impressed!
- HugoMerci beaucoup, Chloé, c'est gentil.Thank you very much, Chloé, that's kind.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries je, suis, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
