j'

See also: Appendix:Variations of "j"

Franco-Provençal

Pronoun

j'

1. Prevocalic clipping of je

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʒ‿/
• IPA^(key): (before unvoiced consonant) /ʃ‿/

• Audio:

  (file)

Pronoun

j’

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 (and the j’ spelling before a vowel) 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.

Related terms

French personal pronouns

number	person	gender	nominative (subject)	accusative (direct complement)	dative (indirect complement)	locative (at)	genitive (of)	disjunctive (tonic)
singular	first	—	je, j’	me, m’		—	—	moi
	second	—	tu	te, t’		—	—	toi
	third	masculine	il	le, l’	lui	y	en	lui
		feminine	elle	la, l’				elle
		indeterminate	on1	—	—	—	—	—
		reflexive4	—	se, s’		—	—	soi
plural	first	—	nous	nous		—	—	nous
	second2	—	vous	vous		—	—	vous
	third	masculine	ils3	les	leur	y	en	eux3
		feminine	elles					elles

¹ On can also function as a first person plural (although agreeing with third person singular verb forms).
² Vous is also used as the polite singular form.
³ Ils and eux are also used when a group has a mixture of masculine and feminine members.
⁴ These forms are also used as third person plural reflexive.

Further reading

• “j'”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

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