je ne vais pas bien
To say 'I am not well' in French, use je ne vais pas bien.
This phrase is used to express that you are feeling sick or are in poor health. If you are experiencing specific symptoms, you might mention terms like la fièvre (fever) or les maux de tête (headaches).
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, je ne vais pas bien translates to 'I am not going well'. In French, the verb aller (to go) is used instead of être (to be) to express a person's health or state of being.
Which one should you use?
While je ne suis pas bien is a grammatically possible construction, je ne vais pas bien is the standard way to express that your health or general well-being is poor.
How does it change in a sentence?
You can modify the degree of how unwell you feel by inserting an adverb like très (very) between pas and bien, resulting in je ne vais pas très bien.
Did you know?
- The word vais comes from the Latin vadō, which is the ancestor of the English word 'evade'.
- While je ne vais pas bien is the standard for health, using je ne suis pas bien often implies a feeling of nausea, anxiety or being emotionally overwhelmed.
- In casual spoken French, the ne is almost always dropped, so you will frequently hear je vais pas bien instead of the formal written version.
Examples in context
- Je ne vais pas bien.I am not well.Tatoeba #1195072 by sacredceltic, translation #3899993 by muriloricci
- Je ne vais pas bien du tout.I am not well at all.Tatoeba #6217 by hortusdei, translation #259287 by CC
- Excusez-moi, mais je ne me sens pas bien aujourd'hui. Pouvez-vous m'aider ?Excuse me, but I do not feel well today. Can you help me?
- Je suis malade et je pense avoir attrapé un rhume.I am sick, and I think I caught a cold.
- Je ne me sens pas en bonne santé depuis quelques jours. Je crois que j'ai besoin de voir un médecin.I do not feel in good health for the past few days. I believe I need to see a doctor.
- Aujourd'hui, je ne me sens pas bien du tout. Je vais rester au lit.Today, I don't feel well at all. I'm going to stay in bed.
- Ça ne va pas. Je me sens faible et fatigué.It's not going well. I feel weak and tired.
- Désolé, je ne pourrai pas sortir ce soir. Je me sens patraque.Sorry, I won't be able to go out tonight. I'm feeling under the weather.
- Je ne vais pas bien depuis ce matin.I have not been well since this morning.
Example conversation
Hugo is talking to Chloé about his health at home.
- HugoChloé, je ne vais pas bien.Chloé, I am not well.
- ChloéQu'est-ce que tu as, Hugo ?What's the matter, Hugo?
- HugoJ'ai très mal à la tête.I have a very bad headache.
- ChloéTu devrais te reposer.You should rest.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bien, je, ne, pas, vais, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
