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J'ai envie d'un café.

J'ai envie d'un café.
I feel like a coffee.
From Lesson 30:Age and physical states (avoir)·French

Questions & Answers about J'ai envie d'un café.

Why does the French sentence use J'ai (I have) to mean "I feel like"?
In French, many feelings, cravings, and physical states use the verb avoir (to have). The expression avoir envie de literally means "to have a desire for." So, J'ai envie d'un café translates word-for-word to "I have a desire for a coffee," which is the natural way French speakers say "I feel like a coffee."
What is the exact meaning of the word envie?
On its own, envie is a noun that means a "desire," "wish," or "craving." When combined with avoir and de, it creates the fixed expression avoir envie de (to want / to feel like). You will use this a lot when talking about things you are in the mood for!
Why is there a d' before un café instead of just de?
The full expression is avoir envie de. However, because the next word, un, starts with a vowel, the e in de is dropped and replaced with an apostrophe. This makes the words flow together smoothly when speaking: d'un café.
Could I just say Je veux un café instead?
Yes, you can! Je veux un café means "I want a coffee" and is perfectly correct. J'ai envie d'un café is just a bit softer and focuses more on your craving or current mood, much like choosing to say "I feel like a coffee" instead of "I want a coffee" in English.

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