je bois
The English phrase "I drink" is translated into French as je bois.
If you wish to emphasize the act of consumption specifically, you might use Je consomme.
Which one should you use?
While je bois can be used to mean "I am drinking" to describe a continuous action, French does not use a separate progressive form for this phrase.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form bois is the first-person singular conjugation of the verb boire (to drink) in the present tense. If you need to express the imperfect tense to describe a habitual past action like "I was drinking" or "I used to drink", the form changes to je buvais.
Did you know?
- In French, if you say je bois without specifying a liquid, people will often assume you are talking about alcohol rather than water.
- The expression boire un coup literally means 'to drink a blow' but is the standard way to say 'have a drink' with friends.
- The word bois in je bois is a homonym of the word bois, which means 'wood' or 'forest'.
Examples in context
- Je bois trop !I drink too much!This sentence is useful for expressing that you are drinking too much using je bois.Tatoeba #3645724 by sacredceltic, translation #2722197 by Hybrid
- Je bois du vin.I drink wine.This sentence is useful for stating that you drink wine using je bois.Tatoeba #8678696 by Micsmithel, translation #5839914 by CK
- Je bois du thé.I drink tea.This sentence is useful for stating that you drink tea using je bois.Tatoeba #8718714 by Micsmithel, translation #7067947 by azraelgnosis
- Je bois du café le matin.I drink coffee in the morning.
- J'ai l'habitude de boire du thé après le dîner.I have the habit of drinking tea after dinner.
- Je prends un verre de vin rouge.I'll have a glass of red wine.
- Je bois souvent du café avec mes amis.I often drink coffee with my friends.
- Je sirote un cocktail au bord de la piscine.I'm sipping a cocktail by the pool.
- 48 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Manon are at a cafe.
- LucasQu'est-ce que tu prends ?What are you having?
- ManonJe bois un grand café.I am drinking a large coffee.
- LucasC'est courageux si tôt !That's brave this early!
- ManonOui, je bois ça tous les jours.Yes, I drink that every day.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
