j'ai un rhume
I have a cold in French is j'ai un rhume.
Meaning: I have a cold (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
j' is je, I, shortened before ai, have. un rhume is a cold.
Which one should you use?
You can also say you are enrhumé, or enrhumée for a woman. More formal is Je souffre d'un rhume, and the colloquial Je me suis chopé(e) un rhume. means I caught a cold.
How does it change in a sentence?
French uses avoir un rhume, to have a cold, just like English.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not say j'ai un froid. In French, saying you have cold with no article means you feel cold, not that you are ill.
Did you know?
- The word rhume shares the same Ancient Greek root as the English word 'rheumatism', both referring to a flowing or flowing liquid.
- The phrase mon nez coule describes a runny nose by using the verb couler, which is the same word used for a leaking boat or a flowing river.
- While English speakers use 'catch a cold' as a standard phrase, French speakers often use the reflexive form s'enrhumer, implying the state of becoming congested.
Examples in context
- Je crois que j'ai un rhume.I think I have a cold.Je crois que means I think that.Tatoeba #13390180 by lbdx, translation #2407766 by CK
- Chaque fois que j'ai un rhume, mon nez coule.My nose runs whenever I have a cold.mon nez coule means my nose runs.Tatoeba #1213274 by sacredceltic, translation #319786 by Miktsoanit
- J'ai un rhume.I have a cold.This sentence is the phrase on its own.Tatoeba #10967 by sacredceltic, translation #321954 by CK
- Pas terrible, j'ai chopé un rhume.Not great, I caught a cold.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Manon are talking on the phone.
- NathanJe ne peux pas sortir ce soir, j'ai un rhume.I can't go out tonight, I have a cold.
- ManonOh mince, tu es malade ?Oh dear, are you sick?
- NathanOui, je me repose à la maison.Yes, I am resting at home.
- ManonSoigne-toi bien, Nathan.Get well soon, Nathan.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I have a cold” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries j'ai, rhume, un, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
