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

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.
I'll be right with you...