On this page, we are going to explain you all the things you want to know about the basic French idiom "J'avoue". It includes a detailed explanation of what it is and how to use it in everyday life with an audio example. As well as the useful stuff we sprinkled like slow pronunciation audio, dialogue example, synonym and more!
Translation : Totally
Literal meaning : I confess
Register : Informal - Basic
Slow
Normal
IPA : / ʒavu /
"J'avoue" literally means "I confess /admit". But during the last decade it became very popular among young generations as a way to say "Totally / That's true / I agree / Don't tell me about it / etc." depending on the context.
It's like a verbal nod used after a statement to acknowledge its reception and show agreement. That's why it's useful when you want to show your interlocutor that you are actively listening to what he/she is saying.
Finally it can also, sometimes, have a meaning of: "I didn't think it through, but now that you say it: yes, I agree"
When you want to show that you are actively listening, I when you agree with the person you are talking to, you can use "J'avoue".
Example :
But also:
Note that we only use it in the first person singular. So don't use "Tu avoues" because it doesn't have the same meaning at all, it means simply "You admit".
Dialogue
Putain, j'ai la flemme de travailler
Fuck, I'm too lazy to work
Moi aussi, c'est ennuyant...
Me too, it's annoying
J'avoue
Totally
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