j'ai la nausée
In French, the phrase 'I feel sick' is expressed as j'ai la nausée.
The phrase j'ai la nausée is used specifically to indicate that you feel like you are going to vomit.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, j'ai la nausée translates to 'I have the nausea'.
Which one should you use?
While j'ai la nausée focuses on the sensation of wanting to vomit, the phrase je suis malade is a more general term used to say you are unwell or ill. If you want to express a stronger emphasis on the feeling of sickness, you can use J'ai la gerbe. If you wish to say you feel under the weather, you might use Je me sens patraque. To say you feel like vomiting, you can use J'ai envie de vomir or if you suspect you have caught a bug, you can say J'ai chopé un truc.
How does it change in a sentence?
If you use the plural form j'ai des nausées, it often implies that you are experiencing multiple waves or recurring bouts of nausea rather than a single instance.
Did you know?
- The word nausée originally comes from the Ancient Greek word for 'seasickness', which is derived from naûs, meaning 'ship'.
- While j'ai la nausée describes a physical sensation, the philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre used the term in his famous novel La Nausée to describe an existential crisis.
- The word patraque in je me sens patraque is an onomatopoeic term that evokes a feeling of being 'off' or 'clunky', like a broken machine.
Examples in context
- J'ai la nausée tous les matins.I feel sick every morning.This sentence is useful for describing the frequency of the feeling using j'ai la nausée.Tatoeba #5760314 by Yemana, translation #5759778 by Hybrid
- Excusez-moi, je ne me sens pas bien, est-ce que je peux quitter la réunion ?Excuse me, I'm not feeling well, may I leave the meeting?
- Désolé(e), je me sens patraque aujourd'hui, je ne peux pas aller au cinéma avec toi.Sorry, I feel under the weather today, I can't go to the movies with you.
- J'ai chopé un truc après la fête, je vais rester à la maison pour me reposer.I caught something after the party, I'm going to stay home and rest.
- J'ai la nausée depuis ce matin.I have been feeling sick since this morning.
Example conversation
Emma and Gabriel are sitting in a moving car.
- EmmaGabriel, arrête la voiture, j'ai la nausée.Gabriel, stop the car, I feel sick.
- GabrielEst-ce que ça va, Emma ?Are you okay, Emma?
- EmmaNon, je me sens vraiment mal.No, I feel really bad.
- GabrielOn arrive bientôt au prochain arrêt.We will arrive at the next stop soon.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries j'ai, la, nausée, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
