Je déteste l'école
The English phrase 'I hate school' is expressed in French as Je déteste l'école.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, Je déteste l'école means 'I hate the school' because French requires the definite article l' before école.
How does it change in a sentence?
When expressing a general dislike for a concept like school, French requires the use of the definite article l' (the), whereas English uses no article.
Did you know?
- In France, students often use the slang term le bahut instead of l'école when complaining about school. This term originally referred to a large chest or trunk used to carry belongings.
- French students often use the verb avoir la flemme to describe the feeling of being too lazy or unmotivated to go to l'école. It describes a specific kind of mental lethargy that 'i hate school' doesn't fully capture.
- If you want to complain about school being boring rather than hating it, a more natural French expression might be L'école, c'est l'enfer, which translates to 'School is hell'.
Examples in context
- Je déteste l'école ! Je n'y vais pas.I hate school! I'm not going.Tatoeba #10769902 by lbdx, translation #4747353 by Hybrid
- Je déteste l'école.I hate school!Tatoeba #5066642 by sacredceltic, translation #4747352 by Hybrid
- Je déteste l'école, surtout les mathématiques.I hate school, especially mathematics.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two students are sitting in a park after their classes.
- ManonJe déteste l'école en ce moment.I hate school right now.
- LucasMoi aussi, c'est vraiment fatigant.Me too, it is really tiring.
- ManonTu veux aller au cinéma ?Do you want to go to the cinema?
- LucasBonne idée, Manon, allons-y !Good idea, Manon, let's go!
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
