How to Say ‘She's sneezing and she's having trouble breathing.’ in French
Elle éternue et elle respire mal.
el ay-tehr-NEW eh el ruh-speer mahl
[el ay-tehr-NEW eh el ruh-speer mahl]
💬 Usage Tip: A hen is elle "she" because poule is a feminine word. The same goes for any feminine animal word, even when you don't know the animal's sex.
Phrase Breakdown
Elle éternue
el ay-tehr-NEW
She sneezes
Link 'elle' to 'éternue': 'el-ay-tair-nü'. The 'u' is said with rounded lips.
Elle éternue à cause du pollen.
She sneezes because of the pollen.
Words in this phrase
Elle
[el]
she / it
Subject pronoun meaning she; it can also refer to a feminine thing like a posture.
Elle est calme pendant le cours.
She is calm during the class.
éternue
[ay-tehr-NEW]
sneezes
Present tense of 'éternuer', to sneeze.
Le chat éternue souvent.
The cat sneezes often.
et elle respire mal.
eh el ruh-speer mahl
and she has trouble breathing.
'Et' sounds like 'ay' and its 't' is never pronounced: 'ay el ress-peer mal'.
Il tousse et il respire mal.
He coughs and has trouble breathing.
Words in this phrase
et
[eh]
and
Joins two thoughts or questions together.
Et vous êtes venu aussi?
And did you come too?
elle
[el]
she / it
Subject pronoun meaning she; it can also refer to a feminine thing like a posture.
Elle est calme pendant le cours.
She is calm during the class.
respire
[ruh-speer]
breathe
An instruction telling one person to take a breath.
Respire profondément avant la posture.
Breathe deeply before the pose.
mal
[mahl]
badly / poorly
Adverb meaning not well, the opposite of 'bien'.
Il dort mal.
He sleeps badly.
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