je joue de la guitare
To say "I play the guitar" in French, use je joue de la guitare.
This is a statement used to say that someone knows how to play the guitar or performs it as a hobby.
What does it mean word for word?
The literal structure of the phrase is 'I play of the guitar', reflecting the French requirement to use the preposition 'de' with musical instruments.
Which one should you use?
Use jouer de for musical instruments, but use jouer à for sports or games (e.g., jouer au football).
How does it change in a sentence?
When playing a musical instrument in French, you must use the verb jouer followed by the preposition de and the definite article. If the instrument is masculine, such as 'piano', the phrase jouer de la contracts to jouer du (jouer + de + le).
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying je joue la guitare. English speakers often mistakenly omit the de and say je joue la guitare, but the preposition de is required for instruments.
Did you know?
- In French, the word for 'cheek' is joue, which is spelled and pronounced exactly like the conjugated form of 'to play' in je joue.
- The pronoun je evolved from the Latin egō̆, which is the direct ancestor of the English word 'ego'.
- While jouer means 'to play' in the context of instruments and games, it also means 'to act' when referring to a role in a theatre play or a movie.
Examples in context
- Je joue de la guitare, mais je ne chante pas.I play the guitar, but I don't sing.This sentence shows how to contrast playing the guitar with singing using je joue de la guitare.Tatoeba #10491530 by lbdx, translation #10472531 by CK
- Je joue de la guitare pendant mon temps libre.I play the guitar in my spare time.This sentence uses je joue de la guitare to describe an activity done during leisure time.Tatoeba #450557 by jerom, translation #266091 by CK
- Je joue de la guitare classiqueI play classical guitar
- Je joue de la guitare dans un groupe.I play the guitar in a band.
Example conversation
Manon and Hugo are talking about their musical interests at a cafe.
- ManonEst-ce que tu joues d'un instrument ?Do you play an instrument?
- HugoOui, je joue de la guitare.Yes, I play the guitar.
- ManonC'est génial, Hugo !That's great, Hugo!
- HugoMerci, c'est ma passion.Thanks, it's my passion.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, guitare, je, joue, la, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
