je regarde la télévision
To say "I am watching television" in French, use je regarde la télévision.
This phrase is used to state that a person is currently viewing programs on a television set.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of je (I), regarde (watch/look at), la (the) and télévision (television).
Which one should you use?
While je regarde la télévision is the standard way to express this, speakers often use la télé instead of la télévision in casual conversation. Another informal option is Je mate la télé.
How does it change in a sentence?
French uses the simple present tense to express both the habitual present and the continuous present (am watching). The definite article la must be used before télévision.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly omit the definite article la before télévision, but in French, the article is required.
Did you know?
- If you use the informal verb mater to say 'I am watching television', you are using a word that originally meant 'to look at' or 'to eye' with a certain intensity.
- In many French-speaking households, you might hear people say they are 'watching the news' using the phrase regarder le JT, where 'JT' stands for 'journal télévisé'.
- The pronoun je evolved from the Latin egō̆, which is the direct ancestor of the English word 'ego'.
Examples in context
- Je regarde la télévision.I am watching television.This sentence is useful for expressing the action of watching television using je regarde la télévision.Tatoeba #4274115 by michelnialon, translation #4384881 by CC
- Je regarde la télévision française.I am watching French television.
- Je regarde souvent la télévision.I often watch television.
- Je suis en train de regarder la télévision en ce moment.I am currently watching television at the moment.
- Je regarde un film à la télévision.I am watching a movie on TV.
- Je regarde la télévision dans le salon.I am watching television in the living room.
- En ce moment, je regarde la télévision.At the moment, I am watching television.
Example conversation
Léa and Nathan are talking in their apartment.
- LéaNathan, que fais-tu ?Nathan, what are you doing?
- NathanJe regarde la télévision.I am watching television.
- LéaEst-ce que tu regardes un film ?Are you watching a movie?
- NathanNon, je regarde juste les informations.No, I am just watching the news.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries je, la, télévision, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
