j'étudie le français
In French, "I am studying french" is said as j'étudie le français.
This phrase is a statement used to say that you are currently learning the French language.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the contracted subject je (I) and étudie (study), followed by the definite article le (the) and the language français (French).
Which one should you use?
You can use je suis en train d'étudier le français if you want to emphasize that the action is happening right at this very moment.
How does it change in a sentence?
French does not have a separate continuous aspect like the English "am studying". The simple present tense j'étudie covers both "I study" and "I am studying".
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly omit the definite article le before the language name, but in French, the article le is required in this context.
Did you know?
- The word français shares its roots with the name of the 'Franks', a Germanic tribe that established the ruling class of the region during the Early Middle Ages.
- While j'étudie le français is standard, a native speaker might say je fais du français to describe their study as a general activity or hobby.
- In written French, le français refers to the language, but when the word Français is capitalized, it refers to a person from France.
Examples in context
- Pour le moment, j'étudie le français dans cette école de langues.For the time being, I am studying French at this language school.This sentence is useful for mentioning where you are studying the language with the phrase j'étudie le français.Tatoeba #678382 by Aiji, translation #280034 by CC
- J'étudie le français depuis six moisI have been studying French for six months
- Salut!Hi!
- J'apprends le français en ce moment. Et toi?I am learning French at the moment. And you?
- J'étudie le français pour mon nouveau travail.I am studying French for my new job.
- Depuis deux mois, j'étudie le français seule.For two months, I have been studying French alone.
Example conversation
Chloé and Lucas meet for the first time at a university.
- ChloéSalut ! Qu'est-ce que tu étudies ?Hi! What are you studying?
- LucasSalut ! J'étudie le français.Hi! I am studying French.
- ChloéC'est super ! C'est difficile ?That's great! Is it difficult?
- LucasUn peu, mais j'adore ça.A little, but I love it.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries français, le, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
