Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| avoir soif | /a.vwaʁ swaf/ |
| assoiffé | /a.swa.fe/ |
In French, you express the need to drink using the expression avoir soif. While it describes the state of being thirsty, it is used to denote the physical sensation of needing liquid.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase avoir soif literally translates to "to have thirst" rather than "to be thirsty."
Which one should you use?
Use avoir soif to describe the standard physical sensation of needing a drink. In contrast, assoiffé is often used to describe someone who is parched or extremely thirsty and it is frequently used in a more figurative sense.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because the phrase uses the verb avoir (to have) and the noun soif (thirst), you must conjugate the verb avoir to match your subject. For example, you would say Je me suis mis à avoir soif to indicate that you began to feel thirsty.
How do you pronounce it?
/a.vwaʁ swaf/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying être soif. This is a common error where English speakers translate "to be" directly, but you must use the verb avoir with the noun soif.
When do people say it?
For a colloquial way to describe extreme, desperate thirst, you can use the expression crever de soif, which means "to die of thirst".
Did you know?
- The colloquial expression crever de soif uses the verb crever, which literally means 'to burst' or 'to pop'.
- The word soif shares an ancient ancestor with the Latin word sitis, which is the root for the English word 'desiccated'.
- French uses avoir for thirst, hunger, and cold, treating these internal needs as things one possesses.
Examples in context
- Je suis affamé et assoiffé.I'm hungry and thirsty.This sentence shows how to use assoiffé to say someone is thirsty.Tatoeba #1710303 by sacredceltic, translation #1690392 by Spamster
- Je me suis mis à avoir soif.I got thirsty.This sentence demonstrates how to describe the onset of feeling the need to drink using avoir soif.Tatoeba #2426390 by sacredceltic, translation #2245803 by CK
- Ton chien semble avoir soif.It looks like your dog is thirsty.This sentence shows how to use avoir soif when describing an animal.Tatoeba #5125447 by sacredceltic, translation #1459374 by CK
- Excusez-moi, j'ai soif. Pouvez-vous me donner un verre d'eau, s'il vous plaît?Excuse me, I'm thirsty. Can you give me a glass of water, please?
- Il fait si chaud ici, je crève de soif!It's so hot here, I'm dying of thirst!
- 14 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “thirsty” translations and entries avoir soif, assoiffé, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries avoir, soif, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
