je suis en vacances
To say I am on vacation in French, use je suis en vacances.
je suis en vacances means you are taking time off from work or school for a holiday.
What does it mean word for word?
je suis means I am and en vacances literally means in vacations.
Which one should you use?
Je suis en congé means you are on leave from work and is a more formal way to say it. The infinitive être en vacances describes the general state of being on holiday.
How does it change in a sentence?
vacances is always plural in this phrase, even for a single period of time off.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often translate on with sur, as in je suis sur vacances. The correct preposition is en.
When do people say it?
A traveler might say Bonjour! Je suis en vacances ici. Est-ce que vous pourriez me recommander un bon restaurant?, which asks a local to recommend a good restaurant.
Did you know?
- French speakers often use the phrase faire le pont or 'make the bridge' when they extend their vacances to cover a weekend.
- While vacances is used for holidays, the word vacance in the singular refers to an empty position or a job opening.
- The word vacances shares a root with the English word 'vacant' and originally described the act of emptying a space.
Examples in context
- Je suis en vacances.I am on vacation.Je suis en vacances. is the full sentence for I am on vacation.Tatoeba #6538 by TRANG, translation #10085800 by Eldad
- Je suis en vacances toute la semaine.I am on vacation all week.
- Désolé, je suis en vacances en ce moment.Sorry, I am on vacation right now.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Manon are talking on the phone.
- GabrielSalut Manon, tu peux m'aider avec le rapport ?Hi Manon, can you help me with the report?
- ManonJe ne peux pas, je suis en vacances !I can't, I am on vacation!
- GabrielAh c'est vrai, tu es où ?Ah that's right, where are you?
- ManonJe suis à la plage avec ma famille.I am at the beach with my family.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
