j'ai deux chiens
In French, 'I have two dogs' is said as j'ai deux chiens.
This phrase is used to state that you own or keep two dogs. If you specifically own two female dogs, you can replace the masculine plural noun chiens with the feminine plural form chiennes.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of je (I) elided to j' before the verb ai (have), followed by deux (two) and chiens (dogs).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Québec, Canada, the slang term pitou is used to refer to dogs.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb avoir (to have) is elided to j'ai because it begins with a vowel sound. Additionally, the noun chiens must be in the plural form to agree with the number deux.
Did you know?
- In French, the word chien is used in the idiom un temps de chien to describe terrible, rainy weather.
- The word deux shares an ancient ancestor with the English word 'two', both tracing back to the Proto-Indo-European root *dwóh₁.
- If you were to even more informally refer to your dogs in France, you might use the slang clebs instead of chiens.
Examples in context
- J'ai deux chiens. L'un est blanc, l'autre est noir.I have two dogs. One is white and the other black.This sentence is useful for describing the colors of the two dogs mentioned in j'ai deux chiens.Tatoeba #10056 by sacredceltic, translation #72776 by CK
- J'ai deux chiens et j'essaye de leur donner la même quantité de nourriture.I have two dogs and I try to feed them each the same amount of food.This sentence is useful for explaining how you care for the dogs mentioned in j'ai deux chiens.Tatoeba #9009629 by Aiji, translation #898558 by CK
- J'ai deux chiens, trois chats et six poules.I have two dogs, three cats, and six chickens.This sentence is useful for listing various animals you own alongside j'ai deux chiens.Tatoeba #2865967 by Popolon, translation #3940433 by AlanF_US
- J'ai deux chiens. L'un est un berger allemand et l'autre est un labradorI have two dogs. One is a German Shepherd, and the other is a Labrador
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their pets at a cafe.
- GabrielJ'ai deux chiens.I have two dogs.
- ManonAh bon ? Quel âge ont-ils ?Oh really? How old are they?
- GabrielIls sont encore très jeunes.They are still very young.
- ManonC'est super, Gabriel !That's great, Gabriel!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries deux, j'ai, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
