j'ai très faim
In French, "I am very hungry" is translated as j'ai très faim.
The phrase is a statement used to express a strong physical need for food. You can also use the idiom j'ai une faim de loup, which means "I am hungry as a wolf", to indicate that you are extremely hungry.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly say je suis très faim, which would translate to "I am very hunger". In French, you must use the verb avoir (to have) rather than être (to be).
Did you know?
- In casual French, you can say j'ai la dalle to express that you are very hungry.
- If you are just slightly hungry, you can say j'ai un petit creux, which translates to 'I have a little hollow'.
- The Proto-Indo-European root of faim implies the idea of 'disappearing', suggesting hunger is something that makes one's strength or presence fade.
Examples in context
- J'ai très faim.I am very hungry.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase j'ai très faim.Tatoeba #551944 by zmoo, translation #463993 by rpietri
Example conversation
Hugo and Léa are walking home from school.
- HugoLéa, j'ai très faim !Léa, I am very hungry!
- LéaMoi aussi, Hugo.Me too, Hugo.
- HugoOn peut s'arrêter ici ?Can we stop here?
- LéaOui, allons au café.Yes, let's go to the cafe.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries faim, j'ai, très, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
