tu me fais mal
In French, "you hurt me" can be translated as tu me fais mal.
This phrase is used to tell someone that they are causing you physical pain.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase tu me fais mal literally translates to "you to me make pain".
Which one should you use?
While tu me fais mal is used specifically for physical pain, you would typically use a different construction like tu me blesses to express emotional hurt.
How does it change in a sentence?
If you are speaking to more than one person or using the formal vous, the phrase changes to vous me faites mal. To express that you were hurt in the past tense regarding a specific completed action, use tu m'as fait mal.
Did you know?
- If you say tu me fais mal au cœur, you are not expressing emotional heartbreak, but rather telling someone that they are making you feel nauseous.
- The word mal shares the same Latin root as the English prefix 'mal-', found in words like 'malfunction' or 'malevolent'.
- French uses the word mal for a wide variety of specific ailments, such as mal de mer for seasickness and mal d'altitude for altitude sickness.
Examples in context
- Tu me fais mal.You hurt me.This sentence is useful for expressing that someone is causing you physical pain using tu me fais mal.Tatoeba #1462324 by sacredceltic, translation #1453909 by Eldad
- Tu m'as vraiment blessé(e) lorsque tu as oublié mon anniversaire.You really hurt me when you forgot my birthday.
- Arrête, tu me fais mal !Stop, you are hurting me!
- Ne serre pas si fort, tu me fais mal.Don't squeeze so hard, you are hurting me.
Example conversation
Nathan is accidentally stepping on Emma's foot while dancing.
- EmmaAïe, tu me fais mal !Ouch, you are hurting me!
- NathanOh, pardon ! Je suis désolé, Emma.Oh, sorry! I am sorry, Emma.
- EmmaFais attention à mes pieds.Watch my feet.
- NathanJe vais faire plus attention.I will be more careful.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mal, me, tu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
