J'en ai besoin
In French, "I need it" is expressed as J'en ai besoin.
This phrase is used to express that something is necessary for the speaker.
What does it mean word for word?
The literal translation of J'en ai besoin is "I of it have need".
How does it change in a sentence?
The pronoun en is used in J'en ai besoin to replace the object because the verb construction is avoir besoin de (to have need of).
Did you know?
- The word besoin shares a common ancestor with the English word 'business', as both stem from roots meaning 'to be busy' or 'to look after' something.
- The word besoin evolved from besogne, which originally referred to a task or a piece of work. Over time, the word shifted from describing a 'job to be done' to the 'necessity' itself.
- The phrase J'en ai besoin is a linguistic mirror of the Italian word bisogno. Both languages structure the concept of necessity around the idea of 'having' a requirement.
Examples in context
- J'en ai besoin ici.I need it here.This sentence is useful for specifying a location where the item is needed using J'en ai besoin.Tatoeba #11533512 by Aiji, translation #11160062 by sundown
- J'en ai besoin hier.I need it yesterday.This sentence is useful for expressing a need in relation to a past time using J'en ai besoin.Tatoeba #1261479 by sacredceltic, translation #241638 by CM
- J'en ai besoin pour demain.I need it by tomorrow.This sentence is useful for expressing a need for a deadline using J'en ai besoin.Tatoeba #583067 by qdii, translation #436855 by lukaszpp
- Vous avez des couteaux supplémentaires ? J'en ai besoin pour couper ma viande.Do you have any extra knives? I need them to cut my meat.
- J'ai besoin de ce t-shirt en taille M.I need this t-shirt in a medium size.
- 13 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo is asking Manon for a specific tool in a workshop.
- HugoManon, tu as vu mon tournevis ?Manon, have you seen my screwdriver?
- ManonNon, je ne l'ai pas vu.No, I haven't seen it.
- HugoC'est dommage, car j'en ai besoin tout de suite.That's too bad, because I need it right now.
- ManonRegarde dans ton sac, Hugo.Look in your bag, Hugo.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries besoin, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
