How do you say "Before, I was afraid." in French?

"Before, I was afraid." in French is "Avant, j'avais peur.". This phrase is commonly used in France.

What does "Avant, j'avais peur." mean in English?

"Avant, j'avais peur." means "Before, I was afraid." in English. Usage tip: « avoir peur » = to be afraid. French uses "to have fear," not "to be fear."

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How to Say ‘Before, I was afraid.’ in French

Avant, j'avais peur.

ah-vahn zh ah-veh puhr

[ah-vahn zh ah-veh puhr]

💬 Usage Tip: « avoir peur » = to be afraid. French uses "to have fear," not "to be fear."

🇫🇷 In France: Talking about past fear and present improvement is a very common storytelling pattern in French conversation.

Phrase Breakdown

Avant

[ah-vahn]

before

Time word referring to an earlier period.

Example

Dans « Avant, j'avais peur. », Avant situe l'action dans le passé.

In "Before, I was afraid.", Avant places the action in the past.

[zh]

Contracted form of « je » before a vowel sound.

Example

Dans « Avant, j'avais peur. », j' remplace je.

In "Before, I was afraid.", j' replaces je.

avais

[ah-veh]

had / was having

Imperfect form of « avoir »; in « avoir peur », it means « was afraid ».

Example

Dans « Avant, j'avais peur. », avais exprime un état passé.

In "Before, I was afraid.", avais expresses a past state.

peur

[puhr]

fear

Used in the expression « avoir peur » = « to be afraid ».

Example

Dans « Avant, j'avais peur. », peur exprime la crainte.

In "Before, I was afraid.", peur expresses fear.

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