How to Say ‘I am only a being’ in French
Je n'suis qu'un être
zhuh n swee k uhn ethr
[zhuh n swee k uhn ethr]
💬 Usage Tip: In careful French this would be [Je ne suis qu'un être], but in speech and songs [ne] often shrinks or disappears. [Qu'un] runs together because [que] becomes [qu'] before a vowel sound.
Phrase Breakdown
Je
[zhuh]
I
A pronoun used by a speaker to refer to himself or herself.
Je suis heureux.
I am happy.
n'
[n]
am not
The contraction 'n'' is a negation of a verb in French.
Je n'ai rien à faire.
I have nothing to do.
suis
[swee]
am
The first person singular form of 'to be'.
Je suis content.
I am content.
qu'
[k]
only
Referring to one single entity, emphasizing its singularity.
Je suis qu'un simple humain.
I am just a simple human.
un
[uhn]
a
An article used before nouns.
C'est un chat.
It's a cat.
être
[ethr]
being
A living person or organism.
L'être humain est complexe.
The human being is complex.
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