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How to Say ‘When I need it’ in French

Quand j'en ai besoin

kahn zhem AHN ay beh-zwan

[kahn zhem AHN ay beh-zwan]

Phrase Breakdown

Quand j'en ai

kahn zhem AHN ay

When I have (a need for) it

'Quand' means 'when', and its 'd' is silent before a consonant. Say 'kahn zhahn-NAY'.

Example

Quand j'en ai, je partage.

When I have some, I share.

Words in this phrase

Quand

[kahn]

When

At the time that.

Example

Il devient joyeux quand il entend de la musique.

He becomes happy when he hears music.

[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.

[AHN]

of it

Pronoun used in the fixed polite phrase meaning you're welcome.

Example

Merci ! — Je vous en prie.

Thank you! — You're welcome.

[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.

besoin

[beh-zwan]

Need

Refers to something that is necessary or required.

Example

J'ai besoin d'aide pour ce projet.

I need help with this project.

Guides for French learners

The Most Common French Verbs: the 20 You'll Actually UseThe 20 most common French verbs, with the present-tense forms you need, real example sentences with native audio, and two shortcuts for past and future.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.

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