Here’s a classic French expression that confuses many English speakers: en vouloir à quelqu’un. If your partner says Je t’en veux terriblement, don’t imagine a passionate declaration ,it means they’re angry with you.
The resentment is usually linked to one concrete event: Tu m’en veux encore parce que j’ai oublié ton anniversaire ? Or: Il ne m’a pas aidé pour mon déménagement… je lui en veux un peu.
It’s not a permanent judgment, just a moment of frustration. A very French way to say “I’m annoyed, but I still care”. Once you know it, you’ll hear it everywhere.
Sorry to disagree but it can be permanent, it isn’t only a moment of frustration, it can be how you express bearing a grudge - and a grudge can last a long time.
Often used jocularly in the negative. Je ne t’en voudrai pas si tu termines le gâteau etc
@Jennifer11
Oh and you could also say je m’en voudrais si je ne te le disais pas ie I’d feel bad if I didn’t tell you, je m’en voudrais de ne pas y aller = I’d regret it if I didn’t go.
And for regrets you can also say je m’en mords les doigts (you can’t bite someone else’s fingers though). Example you saw a lovely Louis XV console in a shop but you were on foot and it was raining and when you went back it was gone, ah j’aurais dû l’acheter, je m’en mords les doigts. Je m’en veux, pffffff
