Yes
Je is I and J'ai is I have, both in having something and having done something (though they sometimes use 'etre' (to be) with some [about 14] verbs in the past perfect - they're all to do with major body movement, falling, climbing, resting, even being born or dying.)

But when most English speakers try to say "je" or "j'ai" (myself definitely included) they end up making the two sound exactly the same.
(Frozen_Banana Shaved against the grain; thoroughly unrewarding., Thu 3 Feb 2011, 21:25, 1 reply)

Eh?
How can "je" and "j'ai" sound the same? Even the least linguistically-minded would say "jeh" and "jay", surely?
(Me, I'm not... in any way intoxicated, Thu 3 Feb 2011, 21:45, closed)

All depends on whether or not you're from Newcastle I suppose.
(Light, Thu 3 Feb 2011, 21:46, closed)

You are a Geordie?
Dude!

Sorry.

STAND CLEAR OF THE CLOSING DOORS, PLEASE!

I love the Toon :)
( The_Commander_of_Skips wears his sunglasses at night, Thu 3 Feb 2011, 21:55, closed)

Well, they'd try
but it's NEVER good enough for the French.






EVER.

(A mute schwa-like 'e' at the end of a word is actually quite rare in English it seems, take for example your 'jeh', wouldn't most people would actually say that as 'jay', eh? Closest I can think is 'er', i.e. weather)
(Frozen_Banana Shaved against the grain; thoroughly unrewarding., Thu 3 Feb 2011, 21:50, closed)

Yeah, bad way of writing it.
But I would hope you don't pronounce "general" as "jayeneral" -- so you can make that noise just fine -- surely most people can say the first sound of almost every word in their native language?
Heck, the beginning of "j'ai" is, in fact, almost identical to the word "je" in its pronunciation.
As mentioned in another comment, I took French almost 20 years ago so I may be wrong, but I have spoken to actual native French speakers recently and they approved of my pronunciation, and I know others who pronounce the words the same as me.
(Me, I'm not... in any way intoxicated, Thu 3 Feb 2011, 22:05, closed)

Well, you have a point
but I was mainly saying that's why 'je' and 'j'ai' seem to get confused, to us it's not really such a change in sound.

I think we should put a ciggy in the corner of each schoolkid's mouth in French lessons, to promote good pronunciation and intonation in the language.
(Frozen_Banana Shaved against the grain; thoroughly unrewarding., Thu 3 Feb 2011, 22:11, closed)

I like the ciggy idea.
I'd say give them a glass of red wine too, to slurp while they speak.
(Me, I'm not... in any way intoxicated, Fri 4 Feb 2011, 17:16, closed)