Dictionary / French / I'm thirsty
How to Say "I'm thirsty" in French
J'ai soif
/ʒe swaf/
Literally: I have thirst
J'
I
ai
have
soif
thirst
Good to know
In a French restaurant you can ask for une carafe d'eau, a jug of tap water, when you order. To ask a friend if they are thirsty, say tu as soif ? With someone you call vous, it is vous avez soif ?
Correct
J'ai soif
What people say wrong
Je suis soif
Not correct French; reads as I am thirst
The mistake to avoid. In English thirsty is an adjective, so you reach for to be. In French soif is a noun, a thing you have. Je suis soif reads as I am thirst, and it is not a sentence. There is an adjective, assoiffé, but it is much stronger and you rarely hear it for everyday thirst. Keep it simple and use avoir.
In context
J'ai soif, il reste de l'eau ?
I'm thirsty, is there any water left?
Vous n'avez pas soif après la randonnée ?
Aren't you thirsty after the hike?
Une carafe d'eau, s'il vous plaît. On a très soif.
A jug of water, please. We're really thirsty.