je dîne
In French, "I eat dinner" is expressed as je dîne.
This phrase is used to state that someone is consuming their evening meal.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a combination of the subject pronoun je (I) and the conjugated verb dîner (to dine/to eat dinner).
Which one should you use?
While English often uses the verb "to eat" plus a noun (eat dinner), French frequently uses the single verb dîner to express the same action.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb dîner is a regular -er verb, so the first-person singular conjugation ends in -e. Additionally, the present tense je dîne covers both the simple present "I eat dinner" and the continuous present "I am eating dinner".
When do people say it?
It is customary in France to say Bon appétit! before eating.
Did you know?
- While je dîne refers to the evening meal in France, in Belgium and Switzerland, dîner usually describes the midday meal.
- Historically, the meal described by dîner was not an evening affair but was originally the most important meal of the day eaten at midday.
- The pronoun je descends from the Classical Latin word egō̆.
Examples in context
- Je dîne après le travail.I eat dinner after work.Tatoeba #1907664 by Wakano, translation #436575 by lukaszpp
- Je dîne avec mes collègues ce soir.I eat dinner with my colleagues tonight.
- Je prends mon dîner à 20 heures.I have my dinner at 8 PM.
- Je dîne avec ma famille ce soir.I am having dinner with my family tonight.
- Je dîne normalement à vingt heures.I usually eat dinner at eight p.m.
Example conversation
Manon and Nathan are talking on the phone in the evening.
- ManonSalut Nathan, tu fais quoi ?Hi Nathan, what are you doing?
- NathanRien de spécial, et toi ?Nothing special, and you?
- ManonJe dîne maintenant.I am eating dinner now.
- NathanBon appétit, Manon !Enjoy your meal, Manon!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries je, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
