How to Say ‘I have a stomach ache.’ in French
J'ai mal au ventre.
zh ay mal oh vahntr
[zh ay mal oh vahntr]
💬 Usage Tip: A super useful pattern: J'ai mal à/au/à la + body part. Example: J'ai mal à la tête.
🇫🇷 In France: This is a very normal, everyday way to describe pain clearly without sounding too technical.
Phrase Breakdown
J'ai
zh ay
I have
Standard contraction of “je ai,” used to express a feeling or symptom.
J'ai froid.
I am cold.
Words in this phrase
J'
[zh]
I
Short form of je before a vowel; part of j'ai meaning I have.
J' ai très mal ce matin.
I hurt a lot this morning.
ai
[ay]
have
Form of avoir used to say I have; in j'ai mal it means I have pain.
J'ai mal au ventre depuis deux jours.
I have a stomach ache for two days.
mal
[mal]
pain / hurting
Used with avoir to express pain: avoir mal = to hurt / to be in pain.
J'ai mal au ventre après le repas.
I have a stomach ache after the meal.
Au ventre
oh vahntr
in my stomach / in the belly
Literally “to the stomach”; in everyday French it means abdominal pain.
Elle a mal au ventre.
She has a stomach ache.
Words in this phrase
au
[oh]
to the / in the
Contraction used before a masculine body part after avoir mal.
J'ai mal au ventre et un peu à la tête.
I have a stomach ache and a bit of a headache.
ventre
[vahntr]
stomach / belly
Refers to the stomach or abdominal area.
J'ai mal au ventre quand je marche.
My stomach hurts when I walk.
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