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Je vais au restaurant parce que j'ai faim.

Je vais au restaurant parce que j'ai faim.
I am going to the restaurant because I am hungry.
From Lesson 31:The verb to go (aller)·French

Questions & Answers about Je vais au restaurant parce que j'ai faim.

Why doesn't vais look anything like the verb aller (to go)?
The verb aller is highly irregular, meaning it doesn't follow the standard rules for verbs ending in "-er". Je vais is the specific form you use for "I go" or "I am going". It is one of the most common verbs in French, so you just have to memorize this form by heart!
Does Je vais mean "I go" or "I am going"?
It means both! French does not have a separate tense for things happening right now (like the English "-ing" verbs). Je vais translates to either "I go" or "I am going" depending on the context. In this sentence, "I am going" makes the most sense in English.
Why is it au restaurant instead of à le restaurant?
In French, when the preposition à (to/at) meets the masculine word for "the" (le), they always merge together to become au. Because restaurant is a masculine noun, "to the restaurant" must be written as au restaurant.
Why does it say j'ai faim (I have hunger) instead of je suis faim (I am hungry)?
In English we use the verb "to be" to describe feelings like hunger, but in French, you use the verb avoir (to have) followed by a noun. You are literally saying "I have hunger". You will use this same "having" pattern when expressing that you are thirsty (j'ai soif), cold (j'ai froid), or hot (j'ai chaud).

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