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How to Say ‘I grew up’ in French

J'ai grandi

zhem ay grahn-DEE

[zhem ay grahn-DEE]

💬 Usage Tip: J'ai plus a past form is the everyday way to talk about the past. Swap it to get J'ai étudié "I studied" or J'ai vécu "I lived".

Phrase Breakdown

[zhem]

I (contracted form of « je »)

« Je » becomes « J’ » before a vowel: « J’aime » = “I like/I love”. Very frequent for opinions about anime.

Example

J' aime ce studio d’animation.

I like this animation studio.

[ay]

have (1st person singular)

« ai » is « avoir » conjugated for « je ». It’s the auxiliary used in the passé composé: « j’ai commencé » = “I started / I have started”.

Example

J’ ai regardé la bande-annonce.

I watched the trailer.

grandi

[grahn-DEE]

grown up

Past participle of 'grandir' (to grow up).

Example

Il a grandi à Paris.

He grew up in Paris.

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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