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How to Say ‘I thought I looked very serious tonight.’ in French

Je croyais pourtant avoir l'air très sérieux ce soir.

zhuh krwah-YAY poor-TAHN ah-VWAHR l ehr treh say-ree-UH suh swahr

[zhuh krwah-YAY poor-TAHN ah-VWAHR l ehr treh say-ree-UH suh swahr]

Phrase Breakdown

Je croyais pourtant

zhuh krwah-YAY poor-TAHN

I thought / I believed, though

Expresses what the speaker believed, with 'pourtant' adding contrast.

Example

Je croyais pourtant t'avoir dit non.

I thought I had already told you no, though.

Words in this phrase

Je

[zhuh]

I

First-person subject pronoun used to speak about oneself.

Example

Je croyais pourtant avoir l'air très sérieux ce soir, mais visiblement non.

I thought I looked very serious tonight, but obviously not.

croyais

[krwah-YAY]

thought

From 'croire,' here meaning 'thought' or 'was under the impression.'

Example

Je croyais pourtant avoir l'air très sérieux ce soir, tu viens de ruiner mon image.

I thought I looked very serious tonight, you just ruined my image.

pourtant

[poor-TAHN]

though / however

Adds a contrast, often with a playful or ironic tone.

Example

Je croyais pourtant avoir l'air très sérieux ce soir, mais mon sourire a tout gâché.

I thought I looked very serious tonight, but my smile ruined everything.

Avoir l'air

ah-VWAHR l ehr

to look / to seem

Used to describe how someone appears.

Example

Tu as l'air fatigué.

You look tired.

Words in this phrase

avoir

[ah-VWAHR]

to have

Infinitive used as part of 'avoir l’air,' meaning 'to seem' or 'to look.'

Example

Je croyais pourtant avoir l'air très sérieux ce soir, au moins pendant cinq minutes.

I thought I looked very serious tonight, at least for five minutes.

l'

[l]

the

Contracted article in the expression 'l’air.'

Example

Je croyais pourtant avoir l'air très sérieux ce soir, mais tu as vu clair dans mon jeu.

I thought I looked very serious tonight, but you saw right through my game.

air

[ehr]

look / appearance

Part of the expression 'avoir l’air,' meaning the impression one gives.

Example

Je croyais pourtant avoir l'air très sérieux ce soir, c’était mon plan de départ.

I thought I looked very serious tonight, that was my original plan.

Très sérieux

treh say-ree-UH

very serious

Describes a serious manner or expression.

Example

Il est très sérieux au travail.

He is very serious at work.

Words in this phrase

très

[treh]

very

Strengthens the adjective that follows.

Example

Je croyais pourtant avoir l'air très sérieux ce soir, mais tu ne me facilites pas la tâche.

I thought I looked very serious tonight, but you’re not making it easy for me.

sérieux

[say-ree-UH]

serious

Describes a calm or solemn appearance, often used teasingly here.

Example

Je croyais pourtant avoir l'air très sérieux ce soir, tu trouves vraiment que j’ai échoué ?

I thought I looked very serious tonight, do you really think I failed?

Ce soir

suh swahr

tonight

Refers to the current evening.

Example

On sort ce soir ?

Are we going out tonight?

Words in this phrase

ce

[suh]

this

In 'ce soir,' it means 'this' and together the phrase means 'tonight.'

Example

Je croyais pourtant avoir l'air très sérieux ce soir, pas demain.

I thought I looked very serious tonight, not tomorrow.

soir

[swahr]

evening / tonight

Refers to the evening; with 'ce' it means 'tonight.'

Example

Je croyais pourtant avoir l'air très sérieux ce soir, mais l’ambiance me contredit.

I thought I looked very serious tonight, but the mood contradicts me.

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