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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

[zhuh]

A pronoun used by a speaker to refer to himself or herself.

Example

Je suis heureux.

I am happy.

[n]

am not

The contraction 'n'' is a negation of a verb in French.

Example

Je n'ai rien à faire.

I have nothing to do.

suis

[swee]

The first person singular form of 'to be'.

Example

Je suis content.

I am content.

qu'

[k]

only

Referring to one single entity, emphasizing its singularity.

Example

Je suis qu'un simple humain.

I am just a simple human.

[uhn]

An article used before nouns.

Example

C'est un chat.

It's a cat.

être

[ethr]

being

A living person or organism.

Example

L'être humain est complexe.

The human being is complex.

Guides for French learners

Ordering in French: Cafés, Bakeries and Restaurants (with Menu Vocabulary)How to order in French at a café, a bakery and a restaurant: the phrases, the questions staff ask, and the menu and food vocabulary to understand the answers.Hello in French: Greetings, Good Evening and How to Answer "How Are You?"How to say hello in French, when to switch to good evening, how to ask how are you and what to answer, with tu vs vous and native audio.

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