French Phrase
Je collectionne des vieux timbres.
Meaning
The sentence means ‘I collect old stamps.’ It expresses a personal hobby and uses the verb ‘collectionner’ to talk about gathering items as a pastime.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to tell someone about your hobby, especially in casual conversation, introductions, or when discussing collections with fellow enthusiasts.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Jecollectionnedesvieuxtimbres
Subject pronoun (Je)
‘Je’ is the first‑person singular subject pronoun, always placed before the verb.
Verb –er conjugation (collectionner)
‘Collectionner’ is a regular –er verb; in the present tense, the ‘‑e’ ending becomes ‘‑e’ → ‘collectionne’ for ‘je’.
Partitive article (des)
‘Des’ is the plural partitive article used when talking about an indefinite amount of something, here ‘old stamps’.
Adjective agreement (vieux)
‘Vieux’ is the masculine plural form of ‘vieil/vieux’; it agrees in gender and number with the noun ‘timbres’.
Plural noun (timbres)
‘Timbres’ is the plural of ‘timbre’ (stamp). In French, plural nouns normally add an –s, which is silent in speech.
🗨In Conversation
Je collectionne des vieux timbres.
I collect old stamps.
Ah, c’est fascinant ! Tu as une pièce préférée ?
Ah, that’s fascinating! Do you have a favorite piece?
✕Common Mistakes
Je collectionne les vieux timbres.
‘Les’ is the definite article; here you need the indefinite partitive ‘des’ because you’re talking about an unspecified amount of stamps.
Je collectionne des vieil timbres.
‘Vieil’ is used before a singular masculine noun that begins with a vowel or mute h; with a plural noun you must use ‘vieux’.
Je collection des vieux timbres.
‘Collection’ is a noun; the sentence needs the verb ‘collectionner’ to express the action of collecting.
↔Alternatives
Je collectionne des timbres anciens.
I collect antique stamps.
Je collectionne des timbres rares.
I collect rare stamps.
Je suis passionné(e) de timbres anciens.
I’m passionate about old stamps.
Cultural Tip
Stamp collecting (la philatélie) has a long tradition in France. Many French collectors join clubs such as ‘Club des Amis de la Poste’ and attend annual exhibitions organized by La Poste. When talking about stamps, it’s common to mention the ‘tirage’ (print run) or the ‘date d’émission’ (issue date). Using the adjective ‘vieux’ signals that you’re interested in historic issues rather than modern commemoratives.