How to Say ‘I've had a sore throat’ in French
J'ai mal à la gorge.
zhay ay mahl ah lah gorzh
[zhay ay mahl ah lah gorzh]
💬 Usage Tip: Literally: 'I have pain in the throat.' This is the standard French way to say 'I have a sore throat.'
🇫🇷 In France: Very common phrase at the pharmacy or doctor's office, especially in winter.
Phrase Breakdown
J'ai mal
zhay ay mahl
I have pain / It hurts
A very common French expression for describing pain.
J'ai mal à la tête.
I have a headache.
Words in this phrase
J'
[zhay]
I
Shortened je before a vowel sound.
J'ai mal à la gorge depuis hier soir.
I have had a sore throat since last night.
ai
[ay]
have
Used with mal to express pain.
J'ai aussi un peu de toux.
I also have a bit of a cough.
mal
[mahl]
pain
Indicates hurting or soreness.
J'ai mal surtout le matin.
It hurts especially in the morning.
À la gorge
ah lah gorzh
In the throat
The preposition à marks the body part affected by the pain.
J'ai mal à la gorge.
My throat hurts.
Words in this phrase
à
[ah]
in the / at the
Preposition pointing to the location of pain.
La douleur est à la gorge et aux oreilles.
The pain is in the throat and the ears.
la
[lah]
the
Feminine article used before gorge.
J'ai une irritation à la gorge.
I have throat irritation.
gorge
[gorzh]
throat
Body part at the back of the mouth and neck.
Ma gorge me brûle un peu.
My throat burns a little.
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