Je n'suis qu'un être
I am only a being
Language note: 'Qu'un' is a contraction of 'que un', showing informality.
Culture note: Being or existence is a central topic in French philosophy, as seen in works by Jean-Paul Sartre.
Word-by-Word Breakdown
Je
[ʒə]
I
A pronoun used by a speaker to refer to himself or herself.
Je suis heureux.
I am happy.
n'
[n]
am not
The contraction 'n'' is a negation of a verb in French.
Je n'ai rien à faire.
I have nothing to do.
suis
[sɥi]
am
The first person singular form of 'to be'.
Je suis content.
I am content.
qu'
[k]
only
Referring to one single entity, emphasizing its singularity.
Je suis qu'un simple humain.
I am just a simple human.
un
[œ̃]
a
An article used before nouns.
C'est un chat.
It's a cat.
être
[ɛtʁ]
being
A living person or organism.
L'être humain est complexe.
The human being is complex.
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