How to Say ‘Yes, I was really scared.’ in French
Oui, j'ai eu très peur.
wee zh ay uh tray puhr
[wee zh ay uh tray puhr]
💬 Usage Tip: Very natural. You can also say J’ai eu peur for “I got scared.”
🇫🇷 In France: French families watching football often react physically and emotionally—gasps, yelling, hands on head, the full drama.
Phrase Breakdown
Oui
[wee]
yes
Used to answer positively or agree with what someone said.
Oui, j'ai eu très peur pendant cette occasion.
Yes, I was very scared during that chance.
j'ai eu
zh ay uh
I was / I had
Passé composé of avoir, often used with emotions here.
J'ai eu froid.
I was cold.
Words in this phrase
j'
[zh]
I
Contracted je before a vowel in j'ai.
j' ai eu très peur quand le gardien a glissé.
I was very scared when the goalkeeper slipped.
ai
[ay]
have
Auxiliary verb used to build the past tense here.
Oui, j'ai eu très peur à ce moment-là.
Yes, I was very scared at that moment.
eu
[uh]
had
Past participle of avoir completing the phrase j'ai eu.
Oui, j'ai eu très peur de voir le ballon entrer.
Yes, I was very scared to see the ball go in.
très peur
tray puhr
very scared
Fixed expression meaning to be very frightened.
J'ai eu très peur hier soir.
I was very scared last night.
Words in this phrase
très
[tray]
very
Intensifier used with peur in avoir très peur.
Oui, j'ai eu très peur juste avant la fin.
Yes, I was very scared just before the end.
peur
[puhr]
fear
Noun in the common expression avoir peur, 'to be afraid'.
Oui, j'ai eu très peur sur cette dernière action.
Yes, I was very scared during that last play.
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