je joue aux cartes
The English phrase "I play cards" is translated into French as je joue aux cartes.
This phrase is used to say that you participate in a card game.
Which one should you use?
In French, the preposition used depends on what you are playing. You use the preposition à for games and sports, as seen in je joue aux cartes, but you must use de when talking about playing a musical instrument, such as in jouer du piano.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb jouer requires the preposition à when followed by a game or sport.
Did you know?
- In French, the verb jouer can mean 'to gamble' when used without a specific game, making je joue sound riskier than 'I play'.
- In France, the most traditional card game associated with the phrase jouer aux cartes is la belote, which is deeply embedded in café culture.
- The pronoun 'je' shares a common ancestor with the English word 'I', both descending from the Classical Latin 'egō̆'.
Examples in context
- Je joue aux cartes tous les soirs avec mes amis.I play cards every evening with my friends.
- Je m'amuse à jouer aux cartes pendant mes vacances.I have fun playing cards during my vacations.
- Je fais une partie de cartes avec ma famille ce week-end.I am having a card game with my family this weekend.
- Je joue aux cartes avec mes amis.I play cards with my friends.
- Le soir, je joue aux cartes avec mon frère.In the evening, I play cards with my brother.
- Je joue aux cartes pour passer le temps.I play cards to pass the time.
- Quand je suis en vacances, je joue aux cartes.When I am on vacation, I play cards.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Chloé are talking about their hobbies.
- GabrielQu'est-ce que tu fais ce soir, Chloé ?What are you doing tonight, Chloé?
- ChloéJe joue aux cartes avec ma famille.I am playing cards with my family.
- GabrielC'est super ! Je peux venir ?That's great! Can I come?
- ChloéOui, Gabriel, tu es le bienvenu.Yes, Gabriel, you are welcome.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries aux, je, joue, CC BY-SA 4.0.
