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J'ai faim.

J'ai faim.
I am hungry.
FromLesson 12inHardcore French

Breakdown of J'ai faim.

je
I
avoir
to have
la faim
the hunger

Questions & Answers about J'ai faim.

What is the literal translation of J'ai faim?
J'ai faim literally translates as I have hunger, though it is understood in English to mean I am hungry.
Why is the verb avoir used in J'ai faim instead of être?
In French, many expressions of physical states or sensations use the verb avoir. Thus, rather than incorrectly saying Je suis faim, the language uses J'ai faim to indicate that you possess the sensation of hunger.
Why is there no article before faim in the sentence?
When describing conditions like hunger, thirst, or pain, French typically drops the article. This idiomatic structure emphasizes that it is a state or sensation being experienced, not a specific, countable entity.
How is the contraction J' formed in J'ai faim?
The contraction J' comes from Je, which contracts when followed by the vowel-initial form ai. This elision smooths pronunciation and is a standard feature in French when a subject vowel is followed by a verb starting with a vowel.
Can this sentence structure be applied to other expressions of physical sensations?
Yes. Similar structures are used for various states. For example, J'ai soif means I have thirst (or I am thirsty) and J'ai froid translates as I have cold (or I am cold), all following the same pattern.
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“How does grammatical gender work in French?”
Every French noun is either masculine or feminine, and this affects the articles and adjectives used with it. "Le" is used with masculine nouns and "la" with feminine ones. Adjectives also change form to match — for example, "petit" (masc.) becomes "petite" (fem.).

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