moi, je suis
In French, "I am" is moi, je suis.
The phrase moi, je suis is used to state one's identity or a personal characteristic. It functions to mean "as for me, I am", adding emphasis to the subject to highlight the speaker's own state or identity, often in contrast to someone else.
Which one should you use?
While the standard way to say "I am" is je suis, the form moi, je suis shifts the focus to the speaker as a point of comparison.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word suis is the first-person singular present indicative form of the verb être (to be).
Did you know?
- While je suis means 'I am', using the exact same words je suis can also mean 'I follow' in French. This is because the verb suivre also conjugates to suis in the first person.
- In casual spoken French, speakers often contract je suis into chuis. This removes the 'e' and 's' sounds to make the phrase flow faster.
- The word suis is a linguistic oddity because it does not look like the expected descendant of the Latin sum. It actually evolved from a different form, possibly influenced by the past tense fuī, which means 'I was'.
Examples in context
- Ne vous moquez pas de moi, je suis sincère.Do not make fun of me, I am sincere.This sentence shows how to use moi, je suis to express sincerity.Tatoeba #6580705 by felix63, translation #6580763 by Eccles17
- Je suis JohnI am John
- Je me présente, je suis MarieI introduce myself, I am Marie
- Je suis làI am here
- Moi, je suis un peu fatigué ce soir.Me, I am a bit tired tonight.
Example conversation
Emma and Nathan are introducing themselves at a party.
- EmmaBonjour, moi, je suis Emma.Hello, I am Emma.
- NathanEnchanté, je suis Nathan.Nice to meet you, I am Nathan.
- EmmaJe suis ravie de faire votre connaissance.I am delighted to meet you.
- NathanMoi aussi, le plaisir est partagé.Me too, the pleasure is mine.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries je, moi, suis, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
