nous avons gagné
The English phrase "we won" is translated into French as nous avons gagné.
This phrase is used to announce that a person and their team have been victorious in a competition or a game.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "we have won" because it uses the passé composé tense.
Which one should you use?
While nous avons gagné is a standard way to express victory, in spoken, everyday French, people are much more likely to say on a gagné to mean "we won".
How does it change in a sentence?
The past participle gagné does not change its spelling to agree with the subject when used with the auxiliary verb avoir.
Did you know?
- In some regional dialects of northern and central France, people historically used je instead of nous to mean 'we'. This usage was often mocked as 'peasant-like' in plays by authors such as Molière.
- The verb gagner is used for both winning a trophy and earning a salary. A French speaker uses the same word to describe winning a race and earning their monthly paycheck.
- In French, the word gagner can also mean 'to gain' or 'to reach' a destination. For example, it can describe a person finally reaching a specific spot or a goal.
Examples in context
- Nous avons gagné ce match.We won that match.This sentence shows how to use nous avons gagné to talk about winning a match.Tatoeba #10666660 by Aiji, translation #4500989 by CK
- Nous avons gagné la bataille.We won the battle.This sentence shows how to use nous avons gagné to talk about winning a battle.Tatoeba #3701 by TRANG, translation #1877 by Swift
- Est-ce que ça signifie que nous avons gagné ?Does that mean that we won?This sentence uses nous avons gagné within a question to ask if victory has been achieved.Tatoeba #6668644 by Aiji, translation #4433752 by eeyinn
- Tu te rends compte ? On a gagné !Can you believe it? We won!
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Emma are celebrating after a basketball game.
- NathanEmma, regarde ! Nous avons gagné !Emma, look! We won!
- EmmaC'est incroyable, Nathan, tu as été génial !It's incredible, Nathan, you were great!
- NathanMerci, l'équipe a fait du bon travail.Thanks, the team did a good job.
- EmmaOui, nous méritons cette victoire.Yes, we deserve this victory.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries nous, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
