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How to Say ‘I still find it hard’ in French

J'ai encore du mal

zhay ay ahn-KOR dew mal

[zhay ay ahn-KOR dew mal]

💬 Usage Tip: Avoir du mal means struggling with something. Add à plus the action to say what you find hard: j'ai du mal à freiner "I struggle to brake".

Phrase Breakdown

J'ai encore

zhay ay ahn-KOR

I still have

Here 'encore' means 'still'. Link the words smoothly: 'jé-an-kor'.

Example

J'ai encore faim.

I'm still hungry.

Words in this phrase

J'

[zhay]

I

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

Example

J'aime les bonbons.

I like candies.

ai

[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.

encore

[ahn-KOR]

still

Used to say something remains available.

Example

Dans « Nous avons encore », « encore » signifie qu'il reste quelque chose.

In “Nous avons encore,” “encore” means that something remains.

du mal

dew mal

trouble / difficulty

'Avoir du mal (à)' means 'to have trouble (doing)'. The 'l' at the end of 'mal' is pronounced.

Example

J'ai du mal à dormir.

I have trouble sleeping.

Words in this phrase

du

[dew]

some (partitive)

Part of the expression 'avoir du mal' (to have difficulty).

Example

J'ai du mal à tourner.

I have trouble turning.

mal

[mal]

difficulty / trouble

In 'avoir du mal (à)', it means to struggle with something.

Example

Elle a du mal à freiner.

She struggles to brake.

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