j'

See also: Appendix:Variations of "j"

French

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ʒ‿/
  • IPA(key): (before unvoiced consonant) /ʃ‿/
  • Audio(file)

Pronoun

j’ m or f

  1. clitic form of je
    J’ai sommeil. ― I’m sleepy.
    J’habite à Paris. ― I live in Paris.
    J’veux pas savoir. ― I don't wanna know. (informal, short for "Je ne veux pas savoir.")
    J’comprends. ― I understand. (informal, see usage notes for pronunciation

Usage notes
  • Je in formal French only becomes j’ before a vowel or an unaspirated h, where this is mandatory in spelling.
  • In informal French, j’ may optionally be used before consonants, and devoices before unvoiced consonants, thus producing a ʃ sound, as in sheep.
    • Before voiced consonants:
      J’vais bien. ― Doing fine.
      J’descend tout de suite! ― Coming down!
    • whereas before unvoiced consonants:
      Chais pas. (j’sais pas) ― Dunno.
      Ch’peux pas. (j’peux pas) ― I can't.
  • Note that the ch’ spelling is purely oral, it is not used in any type of written content except if one wishes to emphasize the language register spoken or the form is in itself a fixed expression.
French personal pronouns
Number Person Gender Nominative
(subject)		 Accusative
(direct complement)		 Dative
(indirect complement)		 Disjunctive
(tonic)
SingularFirst— je, j’ me, m’ moi
Second— tu te, t’ toi
ThirdMasculine il le, l’ lui lui
Feminine elle la, l’ elle
Gender neutral5 iel lea ellui
Indeterminate on1 —— —
Reflexive — se, s’4 soi4
PluralFirst— nous nous nous
Second— vous2 vous2,3 vous2
Third Masculine ils3 les leur eux
Feminine elles elles
Gender neutral5 iels elleux
1 Also used as the first person plural.
2 Also used as the polite singular form.
3 Also used when a group has both men and women.
4 Also used as third person plural reflexive.
5 Colloquial, and not in popular use.

Further reading

Neapolitan

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /i/, /j/

Pronoun

j’

  1. clitic form of jo, je, ie, io
    J’ t’amo
    I love you
    J’ te voglio bene assaje
    I want/love you very much
    J’aggio parlat' a tte
    I spoke to you
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