How to Say “I Am Not Good” in French

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Je ne vais pas bien
In French, the English phrase 'I am not good' is translated as Je ne vais pas bien when referring to one's health or well-being.
Je ne vais pas bien is used to express that you are feeling unwell or are not in a good state of health.

Which one should you use?

While Je ne vais pas bien refers to health, the phrase Je ne suis pas bon means that you are not good at a specific task or lack proficiency in something. Additionally, if you want to express a lack of talent or skill, you might use Je ne suis pas doué(e) or the informal Je suis nul(le).

How does it change in a sentence?

You can modify the phrase by inserting the adverb très (very) between pas and bien to say Je ne vais pas très bien, which means 'I am not doing very well'.

What mistakes should you avoid?

Avoid using Je ne suis pas bien to describe your health. This can imply that you are physically uncomfortable, such as sitting in an uncomfortable chair or feeling out of place in a social situation. Instead, use Je ne vais pas bien to be precise about your health or mood.

Did you know?

  • Before pas became the standard word for negation, French speakers used words like goutte for 'a drop' or mie for 'a crumb' to express the same idea.
  • To express total incompetence, French speakers use the word nul, which literally means 'zero' or 'null'.

Examples in context

  • Je ne suis pas doué pour les langues.
    I am not skilled with languages.
  • Je suis nul en maths.
    I am not good at math.
  • Je suis pas fort en informatique.
    I am not good at computer science.
  • Je ne suis pas très doué en cuisine.
    I am not very talented in cooking.
  • Je ne vais pas bien aujourd'hui.
    I am not feeling well today.
  • Désolé, je ne vais pas bien du tout.
    Sorry, I am not doing well at all.
  • Je ne vais pas bien, j'ai mal à la tête.
    I am not well, I have a headache.

Example conversation

Gabriel and Emma are talking at the office.

  1. Gabriel

    Salut Emma, comment ça va ?
    Hi Emma, how are you?
  2. Emma

    Honnêtement, je ne vais pas bien.
    Honestly, I am not feeling well.
  3. Gabriel

    Oh non, qu'est-ce qui se passe ?
    Oh no, what is happening?
  4. Emma

    J'ai une très forte migraine.
    I have a very bad migraine.

Sources

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Curtis Jeremiah
Curtis JeremiahHelp 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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