j'aime jouer au football
In French, "I like to play football" is translated as j'aime jouer au football.
This phrase is used to express a personal enjoyment of playing the sport of football.
Which one should you use?
In French, le football refers specifically to soccer, whereas in English the term can refer to various different sports depending on the region.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the verb jouer (to play) to talk about a sport, you must use the preposition à followed by a definite article. When this is used before a masculine noun like football, it contracts to au.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying jouer le football. English speakers often mistakenly use the direct object, but in French, you must use the prepositional form jouer au football.
Did you know?
- The word jouer shares a common ancestor with the English word 'joke', both stemming from the Latin 'iocari' meaning 'to sport' or 'to jest'.
- In many French-speaking regions like Quebec, if you say you want to play 'le football', people might think you mean American football rather than soccer.
- The word jouer can also mean 'to act' or 'to perform' in a theater, meaning the same verb covers both physical sports and artistic expression.
Examples in context
- J'aime jouer au football.I like to play football.This sentence is useful for stating your enjoyment of the sport using j'aime jouer au football.Tatoeba #5816505 by Aiji, translation #6864123 by deniko
- J'aime jouer au football. C'est un sport passionnant qui me procure beaucoup de joie et de satisfaction.I like to play football. It's an exciting sport that brings me a lot of joy and satisfaction.
- J'aime jouer au football avec mes amis.I like to play football with my friends.
- Le samedi, j'aime jouer au football au parc.On Saturdays, I like to play football at the park.
Example conversation
Emma and Lucas are talking about their hobbies at school.
- EmmaQuels sont tes loisirs, Lucas ?What are your hobbies, Lucas?
- LucasJ'aime jouer au football, et toi ?I like to play football, and you?
- EmmaMoi, j'aime jouer au football aussi !Me, I like to play football too!
- LucasC'est super, Emma.That's great, Emma.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries football, jouer, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
