je
/ʒə/
The French word for "i" is je. Wiktionary also lists moi.
Meaning: personal pronoun (pron)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| je | /ʒə/ /ʒ/ (informal) |
| moi | /mwa/ /mwe/ |
Both je and moi are used to refer to oneself, but they function differently depending on the structure of your sentence.
Which one should you use?
Use je as the subject of a verb. In contrast, use moi when the pronoun is not the subject of a verb, such as after a preposition or when using it as a stressed pronoun for emphasis.
How does it change in a sentence?
In colloquial spoken French, it is common to use both forms together in the pattern Moi, je… (meaning "Me, I…") to emphasize the subject of the sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʒə/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using moi as the subject of a verb. For example, do not say Moi suis when you mean "I am". Instead, use je as the subject.
Did you know?
- In written French, the pronoun je is always capitalized when it starts a sentence, but unlike in English, it is not capitalized in the middle of a sentence.
- In very informal spoken French, je is often shortened to a sound like 'sh' or 'j' and blended into the verb, such as chais pas instead of je ne sais pas.
- In many French dialects, such as Norman or Picard, the way one says 'me' or 'I' follows different historical paths than the standard Parisian French used in textbooks.
Examples in context
- Moi non plus !Neither am I!This sentence shows how to use moi.Tatoeba #1156781 by sacredceltic, translation #1349966 by sacredceltic
- Je suis né là.I was born there.This sentence demonstrates the use of je as the subject of a verb.Tatoeba #1246591 by sacredceltic, translation #1211854 by CM
- Je vis à Tokyo.I live in Tokyo.Tatoeba #14429 by Aiji, translation #279745 by CK
- 14195 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Léa are meeting at a café.
- HugoJe m'appelle Hugo.I am named Hugo.
- LéaEnchantée, je suis Léa.Nice to meet you, I am Léa.
- HugoJe suis très heureux de vous rencontrer.I am very happy to meet you.
- LéaMoi aussi !Me too!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “i” translations and entries je, moi, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
