French Phrase
Ils ont du mal à respirer.
Meaning
They are having trouble breathing. The phrase can refer to a physical problem (asthma, a medical emergency) or to a moment of panic or intense emotion that makes breathing difficult.
When to use
Use this sentence when you want to describe someone’s difficulty inhaling, whether in a hospital, after an accident, during a panic attack, or even metaphorically when someone is “out of breath” from exertion.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Ilsontdumalàrespirer.
Subject pronoun
"Ils" is the third‑person plural subject pronoun meaning “they”.
Present of avoir
"ont" is the present tense of the verb "avoir” (to have) for “ils/elles”.
Expression “avoir du mal à”
The construction “avoir du mal à + infinitive” means “to have difficulty / to struggle to”.
Partitive article “du”
"du" is the contracted partitive article (de + le) used here with “mal”.
Infinitive after “à”
The infinitive verb follows the preposition “à”. In this case, “respirer”.
🗨In Conversation
Comment va ton frère après l'accident?
How is your brother after the accident?
Il a été blessé à la poitrine, ils ont du mal à respirer.
He was injured in the chest, they are having trouble breathing.
✕Common Mistakes
Ils sont du mal à respirer.
The verb should be "avoir" (ont), not "être" (sont).
Ils ont mal à respirer.
Using "mal" without the partitive article changes the meaning to “pain while breathing”.
Ils ont du mal respirer.
The preposition "à" is required before the infinitive.
↔Alternatives
Ils ont des difficultés à respirer.
They have difficulties breathing.
Ils peinent à respirer.
They are struggling to breathe.
Ils ont du mal à prendre leur souffle.
They have trouble catching their breath.
Cultural Tip
The construction “avoir du mal à + infinitif” is extremely common in everyday French and works for any activity (e.g., "avoir du mal à parler", "avoir du mal à dormir"). Do not confuse it with "avoir mal à + noun", which expresses physical pain (e.g., "avoir mal à la tête"). Also, the liaison between "Ils" and "ont" (‑z‑) is obligatory in careful speech.