Je veux exprimer ma joie avec cette chanson.

I want to express my joy with this song.

Breakdown of Je veux exprimer ma joie avec cette chanson.

• je: I
• avec: with
• ma: my
• vouloir: to want
• cette: this
• la chanson: the song
• la joie: the joy
• exprimer: to express

Questions & Answers about Je veux exprimer ma joie avec cette chanson.

Why is it Je veux exprimer and not something like Je veux à exprimer?

In French, vouloir (to want) is followed directly by another verb in the infinitive without a preposition.

• Je veux exprimer… = I want to express…
• No à or de is used between veux and exprimer here.

Some other verbs do take a preposition before an infinitive (e.g. commencer à faire, essayer de faire), but vouloir does not.

What tense and person is veux?

Veux is the present tense, first person singular of the verb vouloir (to want).

• Je veux = I want
• Tu veux = you want (informal singular)
• Il/Elle veut = he/she wants

So Je veux exprimer… literally means I want to express… in the present.

What is the function of exprimer in this sentence?

Exprimer is an infinitive verb (the base form, “to express”).

Here it’s the direct object of veux:

• Subject: Je (I)
• Main verb: veux (want)
• Infinitive complement: exprimer (to express)
• Direct object of exprimer: ma joie (my joy)

So the structure is: Je veux + infinitive (exprimer) + object (ma joie).

Why is it ma joie and not mon joie?

In French, possessive adjectives (mon, ma, mes) agree with the gender and number of the noun, not with the person who owns it.

• joie is a feminine singular noun.
• Feminine singular possessive for je is ma.

So:

• ma joie = my joy (feminine singular)
• mon frère = my brother (masculine singular)
• mes amis = my friends (plural)

You use ma because joie is feminine.

Could I say Je veux montrer ma joie instead of exprimer ma joie?

You can, but there’s a nuance difference:

• exprimer ma joie = to express my joy (make it known, put it into words, music, art, etc.)
• montrer ma joie = to show my joy (by my behavior, gestures, face, etc.)

With cette chanson, exprimer is more natural because you are using a song as a means of expression.

Why is it avec cette chanson and not par cette chanson?

Both are possible, but they don’t feel exactly the same:

• avec cette chanson literally: with this song.

  • Highlights the idea that the song is the tool/companion you’re using.
  • Very common and neutral.

• par cette chanson literally: by means of this song / through this song.

  • A bit more formal or literary.
  • Emphasizes the song as the means or medium.

In everyday speech, avec cette chanson sounds more natural and colloquial.

What exactly does cette indicate in cette chanson?

Cette is the feminine singular demonstrative adjective meaning this or that.

• ce (masc. sing. before consonant) → ce livre (this/that book)
• cet (masc. sing. before vowel sound) → cet homme (this/that man)
• cette (fem. sing.) → cette chanson (this/that song)
• ces (plural for both genders) → ces chansons (these/those songs)

So cette chanson is “this song” (or “that song,” depending on context), referring to a specific song.

Could I say Je veux exprimer la joie instead of ma joie?

Yes, but the meaning changes slightly:

• exprimer ma joie = express my joy, something personal you feel.
• exprimer la joie = express joy in general (for example, the feeling of joy as an abstract emotion).

With a specific song, ma joie sounds more natural if it’s about your own happiness.

Is Je veux… polite, or should I use Je voudrais…?

Je veux… is grammatically correct but can sound quite direct or even a bit demanding in some contexts, especially with people you don’t know well.

• Je veux exprimer ma joie… is fine as a statement about your feelings.
• If you are asking for something (in a shop, restaurant, etc.), Je voudrais… (I would like…) is more polite and softer.

For this sentence about your own emotions, Je veux exprimer ma joie… is perfectly acceptable.

Where does the stress or emphasis usually fall when speaking this sentence?

In French, stress is usually on the last pronounced syllable of a rhythm group. Here, typical groups are:

• Je veux exprimer
• ma joie
• avec cette chanson

Each group gets its main stress on the final syllable:

• je veux exprimer
• ma joie
• avec cette chanson

Intonation can rise or fall depending on context, but the last syllables carry the main stress.

Is there any liaison I should make when pronouncing this sentence?

Yes, there is one important optional but common liaison:

• Je veux exprimer… → often pronounced: [ʒə vø‿ɛksprime]
  
  • The final -x in veux links to the e in exprimer (sounds like z).

The rest doesn’t require liaison:

• ma joie → no liaison
• avec cette chanson → usually no liaison (you do not link the final c of avec).

Could I say à travers cette chanson instead of avec cette chanson?

Yes:

• avec cette chanson = with this song, neutral, everyday.
• à travers cette chanson = through this song, slightly more literary or expressive, highlighting the idea of the song as a medium you use to convey your joy.

Both are correct; choose avec for simple, natural speech, à travers if you want a more expressive or stylistic tone.