Dictionary / I'm cold
How to Say "I'm cold" in French
J'ai froid
/ʒe fʁwa/
Literally: I have cold
J'ai
I have
froid
cold
Good to know
J'ai froid works in every register. For the room rather than yourself it is il fait froid, the same impersonal construction as il fait chaud.
Correct
J'ai froid
What people say wrong
Je suis froid
I'm a cold, distant person
The mistake to avoid. Physical states are things you have in French, not things you are, the same rule that makes j'ai chaud, j'ai faim and j'ai peur. Je suis froid does exist, but it describes your personality: cold, distant, unfeeling. So a guest shivering on a sofa announcing je suis froid has told the room they are emotionally unavailable rather than asking for a blanket. Learn it as a pair with j'ai chaud and the whole family of avoir states follows.
In context
J'ai froid, tu peux fermer la fenêtre ?
I'm cold, could you shut the window?
Il fait froid dehors.
It's cold outside.
Elle a toujours froid aux mains.
Her hands are always cold.