j'ai envie de te gifler avec un poisson
The English phrase "I want to slap you with a fish" can be translated into French as j'ai envie de te gifler avec un poisson.
This is a humorous or absurd expression of frustration used to tell someone you want to hit them with a fish.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase j'ai envie de literally translates to "I have desire of" or "I feel like", which is more idiomatic for expressing a sudden urge than the direct "I want" (je veux).
Which one should you use?
While je veux te gifler avec un poisson is a more direct translation of "I want to slap you with a fish", the form j'ai envie de te gifler avec un poisson is more idiomatic for expressing a sudden urge.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase te gifler, the pronoun te (you) is placed before the infinitive verb gifler (to slap). To address a formal or plural subject, replace te with vous to say vous gifler.
Did you know?
- The word envie in j'ai envie de comes from the Latin word invidia, which is the root of the English word 'envy'.
- While gifler means to slap, the word gifle specifically denotes a slap on the cheek, making the image of a fish hitting a cheek particularly precise.
Examples in context
- Tu es tellement agaçant, j'ai envie de te gifler avec un poisson !You are so annoying, I want to slap you with a fish!
- Arrête de me taquiner, j'ai envie de te gifler avec un poisson.Stop teasing me, I want to slap you with a fish.
- Sérieusement, j'ai envie de te gifler avec un poisson maintenant.Seriously, I want to slap you with a fish right now.
Example conversation
Manon and Nathan are playing a board game and Nathan is cheating.
- ManonNathan, arrête de tricher !Nathan, stop cheating!
- NathanJe ne triche pas, Manon.I'm not cheating, Manon.
- ManonC'est faux, j'ai envie de te gifler avec un poisson !That's not true, I want to slap you with a fish!
- NathanÇa, ce serait drôle.Now that would be funny.
