How to Say “I Am Not Feeling Well” in French

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Je ne me sens pas bien
The English phrase "I am not feeling well" is translated into French as Je ne me sens pas bien.
This phrase is used to communicate that you are experiencing poor health or feeling sick. Other ways to express similar sentiments include the colloquial expression J'ai pas la forme to mean you are not in good shape or are feeling off, the informal Ça ne va pas to say things are not going well or you are not okay or the informal J'ai la crève specifically to mean you have a bad cold.

Which one should you use?

While Je ne me sens pas bien is a standard way to express being unwell, Je me sens mal is a more direct way to say you feel bad or physically ill. If you want to emphasize the severity of your state, you can use Je ne me sens pas bien du tout.

Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?

To be more polite or nuanced when explaining your physical state to others, you can say Je ne me sens pas très bien, which means "I am not feeling very well".

Is it said differently in some regions?

In France, the phrase Je ne me sens pas bien du tout is commonly used to mean "I am not feeling well at all".

How does it change in a sentence?

The phrase uses the reflexive pronoun me to indicate that the feeling is being experienced by the subject.

What mistakes should you avoid?

Avoid saying Je ne sens pas bien. English speakers often mistakenly omit the reflexive pronoun me.

Did you know?

  • If you say Je ne sens pas bien, you are actually saying 'I do not smell well' rather than 'I do not feel well'.
  • The word pas in Je ne me sens pas bien originally meant 'a step'. Over time, it shifted from a literal measurement of distance to a grammatical tool for negation.

Examples in context

  • Je ne me sens pas bien.
    I am not feeling well.
    This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase Je ne me sens pas bien.
    Tatoeba #3537 by le_petit_ane_gris, translation #6467813 by Eccles17
  • Excusez-moi, je ne me sens pas bien aujourd'hui. Est-ce que je pourrais rentrer chez moi plus tôt?
    Excuse me, I am not feeling well today. Could I go home earlier?
  • Salut, ça ne va pas aujourd'hui, je suis cloué(e) au lit avec un gros rhume.
    Hi, I'm not doing well today, I'm stuck in bed with a nasty cold.
  • Je ne me sens pas bien ce matin.
    I am not feeling well this morning.
  • Désolé, je ne me sens pas bien du tout.
    Sorry, I am not feeling well at all.

Example conversation

Gabriel is talking to Léa at the office.

  1. Gabriel

    Léa, je ne me sens pas bien.
    Léa, I am not feeling well.
  2. Léa

    Qu'est-ce qui se passe, Gabriel ?
    What is happening, Gabriel?
  3. Gabriel

    J'ai mal à la tête et j'ai chaud.
    I have a headache and I feel hot.
  4. Léa

    Tu devrais aller te reposer chez toi.
    You should go rest at home.

Sources

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Christine Maude
Christine MaudeHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.
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