Je becomes j' with verbs beginning with a vowel in French (Elision)

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In French, you will frequently see that the subject pronoun je becomes j'. Let's find out when in this lesson.

Learn when to use j' in French

Look at these examples:

Je suis grand.I am tall.

J'ai vingt ans.I am twenty.

J'habite à Londres.       
I live in London.

 

Notice that the pronoun je ('I' in English) becomes j' when used in front of verbs beginning with a vowel (a, e, i, o, or u) or a silent 'h'.

This contraction changes the pronunciation and is called elision.

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Examples and resources

J'aime les bonbons.I like sweets.
J'habite à Londres.       
I live in London.
Je suis grand.I am tall.
J'ai vingt ans.I am twenty.
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