nous avons hâte de
In French, 'we are looking forward to' is expressed as nous avons hâte de.
This phrase is used to express an eager or excited feeling about something that will happen in the future. While the English 'looking forward to' can sometimes feel formal or polite in business, avoir hâte de carries a stronger sense of personal excitement and impatience.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase nous avons hâte de literally translates to 'we have haste to' or 'we have eagerness to'.
How does it change in a sentence?
You can use the phrase with the construction avoir hâte de + noun to express looking forward to a specific thing or event.
Did you know?
- The use of je to mean 'we' was so distinct that the 17th-century playwright Molière famously mocked it as a characteristic of the peasantry.
- While English speakers use 'looking forward to' to sound polite in business, using nous avons hâte de can actually sound too impatient or emotionally intense for a professional setting.
Examples in context
- Nous avons hâte de vous rencontrer.We are looking forward to meeting you.
- Nous sommes impatients de travailler avec vous.We are looking forward to working with you.
- Nous attendons avec impatience votre réponse.We are looking forward to your response.
- On a hâte de te voir ce week-end.We are looking forward to seeing you this weekend.
- Nous avons hâte de vous voir.We are looking forward to seeing you.
- Nous avons hâte de partir en vacances.We are looking forward to going on vacation.
Example conversation
Manon and Lucas are talking about their upcoming weekend trip.
- ManonLe train part demain matin, Lucas !The train leaves tomorrow morning, Lucas!
- LucasOui, je suis prêt pour le voyage.Yes, I am ready for the trip.
- ManonNous avons hâte de voir la mer.We are looking forward to seeing the sea.
- LucasMoi aussi, ça sera génial !Me too, it will be great!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, hâte, nous, CC BY-SA 4.0.
