j'ai un chien
I have a dog in French is j'ai un chien.
What does it mean word for word?
j'ai is je, I, plus ai, have, joined because ai starts with a vowel. un chien means a dog.
Which one should you use?
Informal words for dog give J'ai un toutou, which sounds cute and J'ai un cabot. or J'ai un clebs, which are slangy.
How does it change in a sentence?
For more than one dog, put both the article and the noun in the plural.
Did you know?
- The term un cabot for a dog is slang that originally referred to a low-grade actor or a 'ham' on stage.
- In French, if you say you have un temps de chien, you are not talking about a dog's schedule but describing weather that is absolutely miserable.
- While chien is standard, the word for dog in the regional language of Corsica is cane or cani, reflecting its close ties to Italian.
Examples in context
- J'ai un chien et un chat.I have a dog and a cat.et un chat adds and a cat.Tatoeba #6015715 by sicerabibax, translation #441581 by CK
- J'ai un chien et deux chats.I have a dog and two cats.deux chats means two cats.Tatoeba #6575 by sysko, translation #257247 by CK
- J'ai un chien qui peut courir vite.I have a dog that can run fast.qui peut courir vite means that can run fast.Tatoeba #7289674 by Rockaround, translation #1988615 by CK
- J'ai un cabot qui me suit partout. Il est mon meilleur ami.I have a dog that follows me everywhere. He is my best friend.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Nathan are talking about their pets in a park.
- ManonJ'ai un chien, et toi ?I have a dog, and you?
- NathanMoi, j'ai un chat.Me, I have a cat.
- ManonIl est très mignon, ton chat ?Is your cat very cute?
- NathanOui, il est adorable.Yes, he is adorable.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chien, j'ai, un, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
