je suis
To say I am in French, use je suis.
je suis comes from the verb to be and is used to describe yourself, your state or where you are, as in Je suis à bord.
What does it mean word for word?
je means I and suis is the form of the verb to be that goes with it.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often use je suis for things like being hungry, but French uses avoir, to have, for many physical sensations. Check the right verb before you say I am.
Did you know?
- While je suis means 'I am', the same words can mean 'I follow' in French. This happens because suis is also the first-person singular form of the verb suivre, meaning 'to follow'.
- If you use je suis to say you are feeling warm, such as in Je suis chaud, you might accidentally imply that you are sexually aroused.
- The word je shares a distant linguistic ancestor with the Latin 'egō', which is the origin of the English word 'ego'.
Examples in context
- Je suis nu !I am naked!Je suis nu describes the speaker's state.Tatoeba #7528121 by Micsmithel, translation #4914781 by RobinvanderVliet
- Je suis joli ?I am handsome?Je suis joli ? asks a question just by raising the voice.Tatoeba #3487857 by Aiji, translation #3487860 by Ricardo14
- Je suis à bord.I am on board.Je suis à bord tells where the speaker is.Tatoeba #10363004 by sacredceltic, translation #10363003 by sacredceltic
- Je suis professeur.I am a teacher.
- Je me présente, je suis Lucie Dupont.I introduce myself, I am Lucie Dupont.
- Je suis fatigué(e).I am tired.
- Je suis crevé(e).I am exhausted.
- Je suis de Montréal.I am from Montreal.
- Ça va bien.I am fine.
- Ça va mal.I am not well.
- 1689 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Chloé are meeting at a café.
- HugoJe suis en retard, désolé.I am late, sorry.
- ChloéNe t'inquiète pas, je suis déjà là.Don't worry, I am already here.
- HugoTu es très patiente, Chloé.You are very patient, Chloé.
- ChloéC'est normal, je suis contente de te voir.It's normal, I am happy to see you.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries je, suis, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
