How to Say ‘I wanted’ in French
Je voulais
zhuh voo-leh
[zhuh voo-leh]
🇫🇷 In France: In follow-up emails, [je voulais] softens what you are doing, so it sounds polite rather than abrupt. French often uses this kind of "I wanted to..." phrasing in professional contact.
Phrase Breakdown
Je
[zhuh]
I
Subject pronoun for the speaker.
Je voulais vous remercier pour notre discussion.
I wanted to thank you for our discussion.
voulais
[voo-leh]
wanted
Imperfect form of vouloir, often used to sound polite and less direct in emails.
Je voulais vous remercier pour notre discussion.
I wanted to thank you for our discussion.
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