j'ai mangé
In French, "I ate" is expressed as j'ai mangé.
This phrase is used to make a statement that the speaker has consumed food in the past.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of je (I), the auxiliary verb ai (have) and the past participle mangé (eaten).
Is it said differently in some regions?
The colloquial expression Je me suis pété le bide. is mostly used in France.
How does it change in a sentence?
In this tense, the past participle mangé does not change its spelling to agree with the subject je.
Did you know?
- The French phrase manger sur le pouce describes eating something quickly or on the go, literally meaning 'to eat on the thumb'.
- While j'ai mangé is the standard way to say 'i ate', you might hear a French person say j'ai bouffé in a very informal setting with friends. This uses the slang term bouffer, which originally meant 'to swallow' or 'to gulp'.
- While j'ai mangé refers to eating, the related word mangeoire refers specifically to a manger or a feeding trough for animals.
Examples in context
- J'ai mangé du caviar.I ate caviar.This sentence shows how to use j'ai mangé with a specific food item.Tatoeba #4290 by TRANG, translation #2413 by CK
- J'ai mangé des chips.I ate some potato chips.This sentence shows how to use j'ai mangé with a plural food item.Tatoeba #1082058 by nimfeo, translation #2609654 by WestofEden
- J'ai mangé la salade.I ate the salad.This sentence shows how to use j'ai mangé with a definite article.Tatoeba #6324084 by Aiji, translation #5850903 by CK
- J'ai mangé une glace.I ate an ice cream.
- J'ai mangé des hamburgers.I ate hamburgers.
- 123 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Léa are talking about their lunch.
- GabrielJ'ai mangé un gros repas.I ate a big meal.
- LéaMoi aussi, je n'ai plus faim.Me too, I am no longer hungry.
- GabrielC'était très bon.It was very good.
- LéaOui, j'ai beaucoup aimé.Yes, I liked it a lot.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
