je suis
je suis is the French way to say "I am".
je suis is a phrase used to state who or what the speaker is.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the first-person singular pronoun je (I) and the first-person singular present indicative of the verb être (to be), which is suis (am).
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb suis must agree with the first-person singular subject je and cannot be used with other subjects like tu or il.
What mistakes should you avoid?
In French, the article is typically omitted, so you should say Je suis professeur.
Did you know?
- The phrase je suis is a complete homonym for 'I follow'. Depending on the context, je suis can either mean 'I am' or 'I am following' because the verb suivre (to follow) shares the same form.
- The word suis actually shares its origin with the Latin word for 'I was', rather than the standard Latin word for 'I am'.
- In spoken French, the phrase je suis is frequently contracted to j'suis or even chuis. This phonetic shortcut is extremely common in casual conversation despite being grammatically incorrect.
Examples in context
- Je suis nu !I am naked!This sentence is useful for expressing a state of being with je suis.Tatoeba #7528121 by Micsmithel, translation #4914781 by RobinvanderVliet
- Je suis joli ?I am handsome?This sentence is useful for asking a question about oneself with je suis.Tatoeba #3487857 by Aiji, translation #3487860 by Ricardo14
- Je suis à bord.I am on board.This sentence is useful for stating a location with je suis.Tatoeba #10363004 by sacredceltic, translation #10363003 by sacredceltic
- Je suis étudiant(e).I am a student.
- Je suis content(e).I am happy.
- Je suis de Lausanne.I am from Lausanne.
- 1689 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Emma are meeting at a cafe.
- LucasSalut Emma, je suis en retard !Hi Emma, I am late!
- EmmaCe n'est pas grave, Lucas.It is not a problem, Lucas.
- LucasJe suis vraiment désolé.I am really sorry.
- EmmaNe t'inquiète pas, je suis déjà là.Don't worry, I am already here.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries je, suis, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
