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Lesson 56 of 240

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Hungry, cold, tired in French

Sam sits on the terrace at Café des Tilleuls. The morning is sharp, and his jacket is too thin.

Gaspard has a croissant and a café crème he still has not touched.

By the end, you'll say you are hungry, thirsty, cold, hot or tired, and that you are full.

Odile brings the usual. Gaspard is already hungry anyway.

By the end of this lesson

Say you are hungry, thirsty, cold, hot or tired, and that you're full.

  • J'ai faim.I'm hungry.
  • J'ai soif.I'm thirsty.
  • J'ai froid.I'm cold.
  • J'ai chaud.I'm hot.
  • Je suis fatigué.I'm tired.
  • Je n'ai plus faim.I'm full.

Scene — the terrace is cold

Same morning on rue des Tilleuls. Sam sits on the narrow terrace in a thin jacket.

Odile is at the zinc counter with his usual already in mind.

Gaspard sits on two chairs at the table next to the window table. His croissant is there. The crème is still full.

Wide morning view of Café des Tilleuls: Sam on the narrow terrace, Odile at the zinc counter, and Gaspard at the table beside the window with a croissant and a full crème.

Learn — hungry, cold, tired

Six short lines cover hungry, thirsty, cold, hot, tired, and full.

You'll say how you feel, then stop when you have had enough to eat.

  1. High-angle view of Gaspard leaning toward an uneaten croissant, hungry, sitting on two chairs by the café window.

    J'ai faim.

    I'm hungry.

    When to use it: Say this at the café when you want something to eat.

    Learn it as one piece when you want food.

    Say it: The last letter of faim is silent.

  2. Close-up of Gaspard's hands beside a full unused crème, thirsty, with the croissant still on the plate.

    J'ai soif.

    I'm thirsty.

    When to use it: Say this when you want a drink.

    Learn it as one piece when you want a drink.

    Say it: The f at the end of soif is sounded.

  3. Profile of Sam hunched on the terrace with arms wrapped tight, cold in the morning air.

    J'ai froid.

    I'm cold.

    When to use it: Say this when your body feels cold.

    Learn it as one piece for a cold body.

    Say it: The d at the end of froid is silent.

  4. Odile entering the terrace with a cup as the sun hits Sam, who leans back from the heat.

    J'ai chaud.

    I'm hot.

    When to use it: Say this when your body feels too warm.

    Learn it as one piece for a warm body.

    Say it: The d at the end of chaud is silent.

  5. Over-the-shoulder view of Sam slumped on the terrace table, tired, head bowed on folded arms.

    Je suis fatigué.

    I'm tired.

    When to use it: Say this when you need rest after a long morning.

    Learn it as one piece, and a woman says fatiguée.

  6. Low-angle view of Gaspard sitting back from a plate of croissant crumbs, full, still on two chairs with the crème untouched.

    Je n'ai plus faim.

    I'm full.

    When to use it: Say this when you have had enough to eat.

    Learn it as one piece when the plate is enough.

    Say it: N'ai is ne and ai said as one sound.

Story — the crème stays full

Watch Sam on the terrace. He is cold, and Gaspard is already hungry.

The highlighted words are the lines you just learned. Turn on Show English if you need it.

  1. Sam sits in a thin jacket. Gaspard's crème is still full.
  2. OdileBonjour.Hello.
  3. SamBonjour.Hello.
  4. OdileÇa va ?How are you?
  5. SamJ'ai froid.I'm cold.
  6. Odile brings Sam the usual coffee. He holds the cup.
  7. GaspardJ'ai faim.I'm hungry.
  8. A croissant is already on his plate. He does not drink.
  9. GaspardJ'ai soif.I'm thirsty.
  10. The sun comes out on the terrace. Sam pulls at his jacket.
  11. SamJ'ai chaud.I'm hot.
  12. Gaspard eats the croissant. He still does not touch the crème.
  13. GaspardJe n'ai plus faim.I'm full.
  14. The crème is still full. Sam thinks of the four floors at home.
  15. SamJe suis fatigué.I'm tired.

Practice — how you feel

Ten quick exercises wait here. You'll listen, pick, match, fill a gap, and build a line.

They stay tiny, so the round moves fast.

0 of 10 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    French

    J'ai faim.Drop the English here
    J'ai soif.Drop the English here
    J'ai froid.Drop the English here

    English

    Drag an English line onto its French, or tap one and then the other.

  3. Pick the reply

    Odile says:

    Tu as froid ?

    Are you cold?

    And you reply with:

  4. Fill the gap

    I'm full.

    Je n'ai ____ faim.

  5. What does it mean?

    J'ai soif.

  6. Swap the word

    You climbed four floors and you need to sit down.

    Je suis ____.

  7. What do you say?

    The sun has come out and you feel too warm.

  8. Build the line

    I'm full.

    .

    Tap the words in order.

  9. What do you say?

    You sit down on the terrace. Odile looks up and waits.

  10. True or false?

    This means I'm good, thanks.

Say it — say how you feel

Now you're Sam on the terrace. When it's your turn, tap the microphone and speak the line.

Tap ▶ first if you want to hear the line. Your recording stays on your device.

  1. OdileBonjour. Ça va ?Hello. How are you?
  2. Sam (you)Tell Odile you feel cold on the terrace.

    J'ai froid.

    I'm cold.

0 of 5 said

Recap — what you can say now

FrenchEnglish
J'ai faim.I'm hungry.
J'ai soif.I'm thirsty.
J'ai froid.I'm cold.
J'ai chaud.I'm hot.
Je suis fatigué.I'm tired.
Je n'ai plus faim.I'm full.
Next: lesson 57Hot, cold, rainy

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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

Want to keep these feelings handy? Grab the Yak Cards for this lesson and review them anywhere.

A quick round with the Yak Cards each day keeps hungry, cold, and tired ready at the table.

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