🙏❗

How to Say ‘I really need it’ in French

J'en ai bien besoin

zhay AHN ay byan beh-zwan

[zhay AHN ay byan beh-zwan]

💬 Usage Tip: The word for 'need' is avoir besoin de "to have need of". En replaces the 'of it' part, which is why it sits before ai.

Phrase Breakdown

J'en ai

zhay AHN ay

I have (of it)

'En' replaces 'de ça' (of it). Link the words: 'zhahn-ay'.

Example

J'en ai deux.

I have two of them.

Words in this phrase

[zhay]

Pronoun used by the speaker to refer to himself or herself.

Example

J'aime les bonbons.

I like candies.

[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

Form of 'avoir' used with past participles to make the past tense.

Example

J'ai beaucoup appris grâce à notre discussion.

I learned a lot thanks to our discussion.

bien besoin

byan beh-zwan

really need

'Avoir besoin de' means 'to need', and 'bien' adds emphasis. 'Besoin' sounds like 'buh-zwan'.

Example

J'ai bien besoin de vacances.

I really need a holiday.

Words in this phrase

bien

[byan]

indeed / really

Used to confirm or check something is correct.

Example

C'est bien ton sac ?

Is that really your bag?

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

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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