je suis Marie
The phrase "I am Marie" is translated into French as je suis Marie.
This sentence is used to state your name when introducing yourself to others.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of je (I), suis (am) and Marie (the name).
Which one should you use?
While je suis Marie is grammatically correct, the phrase Je m'appelle Marie (which means "My name is Marie") is often more common for formal introductions.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word suis is the first-person singular present indicative form of the irregular verb être (to be).
Did you know?
- While je suis Marie translates as 'I am Marie', the word suis also means 'follow' in a different context, as it is a form of the verb suivre.
- In very casual spoken French, people often shorten je suis to chuis to speed up the sentence.
- The verb suis in je suis Marie actually traces its roots back to the Latin word for 'I was' rather than 'I am'. It was likely influenced by the ancient perfect tense fuī in a linguistic process that flipped the meaning of the word's origins.
Examples in context
- Je suis Marie, étudiante en médecine.I am Marie, a medical student.
- Je suis Marie, passionnée de musique.I am Marie, passionate about music.
- Je suis Marie.I am Marie.
- Enchantée, je suis Marie.Nice to meet you, I am Marie.
- Bonjour, je suis Marie de la classe de français.Hello, I am Marie from the French class.
Example conversation
Chloé and Nathan meet for the first time at a party.
- ChloéSalut ! Je suis Marie.Hi! I am Marie.
- NathanEnchanté, Marie. Moi, c'est Nathan.Nice to meet you, Marie. I'm Nathan.
- ChloéTu connais l'hôte ?Do you know the host?
- NathanOui, c'est mon cousin.Yes, he is my cousin.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Marie, je, suis, CC BY-SA 4.0.
