French for English speakers Townhall · Lesson 1

Feeling unwell

Sympathize about illness in French — Quelle tête tu as ! (You look awful!) — and respond Je ne me sens pas très bien.

Conversation

  1. Yennifer Yennifer

    Quelle tête tu as !

    What a face you have!

  2. Honey Honey

    Ouais, je ne me sens pas très bien.

    Yeah, I don't feel well.

    Tip: <ouais> = means yes, but in a very casual sense.

  3. Yennifer Yennifer

    Qu'est-ce qu'il y a ?

    What's the matter?

  4. Honey Honey

    J'ai mal à la tête.

    I have a little headache.

    Tip: mal + body part expresses pain in that particular region.

Common questions

Quick answers about this lesson's grammar and vocabulary.

How do you say 'I don't feel well' in French?

Je ne me sens pas bien. Reflexive verb se sentir: je me sens, tu te sens, il/elle se sent.

What does quelle tête tu as mean?

Literally 'what a head you have' — colloquial way to say 'you look awful / off'. Used among friends, not strangers.

French for being unwell?

Je me sens mal (I feel bad), je suis malade (I'm sick), j'ai pas la forme (I'm not on form).

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