Fluent in French Fast: 20 ‘I am…’ Phrases You Need to Know

Fluent in French Fast: 20 “I am…” Phrases You Need to Know

Bonjour, language lovers! Ever been lost for words in French, even though you know exactly what you want to say in English?

Imagine strolling down a Parisian street, when a friendly local asks, “Comment ça va?” and all you can manage is a shy shrug because you’re not quite sure how to express, “I’m hungry” or “I’m tired.”

French Udemy

Well, fear not, dear linguists, because we’re about to rocket boost your French conversational skills. We’ve compiled a list of the 20 most common “I am…” sentences in French.

With these handy phrases, you’ll be better equipped to express yourself; you’ll be able to say the things that actually matter – those short sentences you use daily in your native language.


A quick note about gender in French: As you may know, French language has a gender for all nouns and adjectives. This applies to the phrases we’ve shared in this post as well.

You’ll notice that some of the phrases include an “(e)” at the end. This represents the feminine form of the word. If you’re a male, you would use the masculine form (without the “e”), and if you’re a female, you’d use the feminine form (with the “e”).

This detail is crucial as it ensures that your sentences align with the grammatical norms of the French language.

EnglishFrench
I am hungryJ’ai faim
I am thirstyJ’ai soif
I am tiredJe suis fatigué (m) / fatiguée (f)
I am happyJe suis heureux (m) / heureuse (f)
I am sadJe suis triste
I am sureJe suis sûr (m) / sûre (f)
I am busyJe suis occupé (m) / occupée (f)
I am excitedJ’ai hâte
I am boredJe m’ennuie
I am scaredJ’ai peur
I am readyJe suis prêt (m) / prête (f)
I am lateJe suis en retard
I am confusedJe suis perplexe
I am fineJe vais bien
I am angryJe suis en colère
I am worriedJe suis inquiet (m) / inquiète (f)
I am sickJe suis malade
I am hotJ’ai chaud
I am coldJ’ai froid
I am lostJe suis perdu (m) / perdue (f)

Watch the video

Check out our video below to hear how these are supposed to be pronounced!