j'aime jouer au football
In French, 'I like playing football' is translated as j'aime jouer au football.
This phrase is used to express a personal enjoyment of the sport of football. While the standard term is football, you may hear the slang term foot used to refer to the sport itself. If you want to express that you really enjoy something in a colloquial way, you can use the verb kiffer.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase j'aime jouer au football literally translates to 'I like to play at the football'.
Which one should you use?
While English uses the gerund 'playing', French uses the infinitive jouer after the verb aimer.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, Canada, it is common to say J'aime jouer au soccer.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the verb jouer (to play) with a sport, you must use the contraction au (a + le) rather than just 'le'.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying j'aime jouer football. English speakers often mistakenly omit the article au before the sport, saying 'jouer football' instead of the correct 'jouer au football'.
Did you know?
- The colloquial verb kiffer is derived from the Arabic word kif, which refers to pleasure or a state of enjoyment.
- The word jouer has an unexpected connection to English. It shares an ancestor with the English word 'joke', as both come from the Latin word iocārī, meaning 'to jest' or 'to play around'.
- In France, the phrase jouer au football is often shortened to faire du foot in casual conversation.
Examples in context
- J'aime jouer au football.I like playing football.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase j'aime jouer au football.Tatoeba #5816505 by Aiji, translation #5166103 by Silvestre
- J'aime jouer au football avec mes amis.I like playing football with my friends.
- Depuis tout petit, j'aime jouer au football.Since I was very little, I like playing football.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their favorite hobbies.
- ChloéQu'est-ce que tu fais le samedi, Lucas ?What do you do on Saturdays, Lucas?
- LucasEn général, j'aime jouer au football.Generally, I like playing football.
- ChloéC'est super, tu joues dans un club ?That's great, do you play in a club?
- LucasNon, je joue juste au parc.No, I just play at the park.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries football, jouer, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
