French · Real conversations
How to say “I've had this for ... days.” in French
Explain how many days a symptom or condition has lasted.
Ça fait … jours que j'ai ça.
I've had this for … days.
Specify what you mean by 'this' when it is not obvious.
Use it in three situations
Describing a cough
J'ai ça depuis trois jours.
I've had this for three days.
Explaining discomfort
J'ai cette toux depuis deux jours.
I've had this cough for two days.
Answering a duration question
Ça a commencé hier.
This started yesterday.
What to watch for
The expression reports duration; it does not describe the cause or recommend treatment.
Read the whole expression before replacing a detail. The natural wording may use a different order or construction from the English sentence.
Your turn
Imagine appointments and pharmacies. Say this in French: I've had this cough for two days.
Reveal a sample reply
J'ai cette toux depuis deux jours.
I've had this cough for two days.
Build a useful exchange
Arrange a visit and clarify medicine instructions.
This expression in other languages
A note on speaking French
Use vous with strangers, staff, and people you address formally; use tu when that relationship is established. Je voudrais and pourriez-vous can make a request considerate. The most appropriate choice depends on the person and the situation.
Keep accents and apostrophes. A familiar spoken expression may differ from its literal English translation. Read the complete line, including the pronoun and the words that connect the request.
