je suis
The English phrase "I follow" is translated into French as je suis.
je suis is used to indicate that you are moving behind someone or tracking their progress. In informal contexts, you might use the variations Je te suis to say "I follow you" or Je te suis de près to say "I follow you closely".
Which one should you use?
The phrase je suis is ambiguous because it is a homonym.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often confuse je suis (I follow) with je suis (I am) because they are spelled identically in the present tense.
Did you know?
- The ambiguity of je suis is often used in French wordplay and jokes to create double meanings between a state of being and an action of following.
- The word suis in je suis is a linguistic oddity because it did not evolve naturally from the Latin word for 'am'. It was likely influenced by the Latin word fuī which means 'I was'.
Examples in context
- Je suis un Suisse.I follow a Swiss.This sentence shows the use of je suis to indicate following a person.Tatoeba #10704045 by AutoBot, translation #10704049 by AutoBot
- Je suis les règles.I follow the rules.This sentence uses je suis to show following rules.Tatoeba #6479912 by Aiji, translation #4498739 by CK
- Je suis l'exemple de ma mère.I follow my mom's example.This sentence uses je suis to show following an example.Tatoeba #11498216 by Aiji, translation #4769449 by garborg
- Je suis votre disciple depuis longtemps.I have been following you for a long time.
- Je suis attentif à vos conseils et je les mets en pratique.I am attentive to your advice and I put it into practice.
- Je te suis dans la vie comme sur Instagram.I follow you in life as well as on Instagram.
- Je te suis de près et je partage tes intérêts.I follow you closely and share your interests.
- Je te suis dans tes pas et j'admire ton parcours.I follow in your footsteps and admire your journey.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Lucas are walking through a crowded museum.
- LéaNe t'inquiète pas, je suis Lucas.Don't worry, I am following Lucas.
- LucasD'accord, reste juste derrière moi.Okay, just stay behind me.
- LéaJe suis ton rythme pour ne pas nous perdre.I am following your pace so we don't get lost.
- LucasParfait, on arrive bientôt à la sortie.Perfect, we are almost at the exit.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries je, suis, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
