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The verb avoir in French
16.01.2025
4 minutes to read
The verb avoir in French is like a magic wand without which nothing works. You need it to say you have something, how old you are, and even to build tenses! If you want to speak French without the “oops, something's wrong”, you need to make friends with it. Let's break down how it works and why it's so loved (and feared) by beginners!
Table of contents
Introductory words are words or phrases that help us express our opinions, attitudes, or add explanation to what we are saying. They are not the main part of a sentence and do not change the main meaning of the sentence. For example, phrases like "in my opinion" or "you know" are introductory words. If we remove them, the meaning of the sentence remains the same, but the speech becomes less expressive and "dry".
Introductory words are needed to make speech flow more smoothly and naturally. We often use them when we want to pause, think, or show that something is important or special to us. For example, if you want to say that you like something, but you don't want to be too direct, you can add an introductory word: "Well, I really like this movie." In this case, "Well" kind of shows that you've given it some thought before sharing your opinion.
In addition, introductory words can help in a conversation when you want to clarify or add details. For example, the phrase "To be honest" is used to emphasize that you are being frank. It gives the conversation a more personal touch.
In general, introductory words make your speech more lively and interesting, and help you move smoothly from one thought to another without losing your meaning.
Introductory words are needed to make speech flow more smoothly and naturally. We often use them when we want to pause, think, or show that something is important or special to us. For example, if you want to say that you like something, but you don't want to be too direct, you can add an introductory word: "Well, I really like this movie." In this case, "Well" kind of shows that you've given it some thought before sharing your opinion.
In addition, introductory words can help in a conversation when you want to clarify or add details. For example, the phrase "To be honest" is used to emphasize that you are being frank. It gives the conversation a more personal touch.
In general, introductory words make your speech more lively and interesting, and help you move smoothly from one thought to another without losing your meaning.
Meaning and translation of the verb avoir
Conjugation of the verb avoir in French
The conjugation of avoir is like memorizing your social networking passwords all at once: it seems difficult at first, but then you use it every day and you don't have to think about it anymore. This verb is irregular, which means you just have to learn its forms.
Here's how it is conjugated in the present tense (présent de l'indicatif):
Here's how it is conjugated in the present tense (présent de l'indicatif):
The form j'ai is simply je ai, but since the two vowels don't like to be next to each other, the e disappears.
It's important to remember that ont and on sound the same, but they are different things: on is “we” in colloquial speech, and ont is the avoir form for “they”.
Now that you know how to conjugate it, you can move on to the fun part - tenses and expressions with avoir!
It's important to remember that ont and on sound the same, but they are different things: on is “we” in colloquial speech, and ont is the avoir form for “they”.
Now that you know how to conjugate it, you can move on to the fun part - tenses and expressions with avoir!
Negative form
When a Frenchman wants to say that he doesn't have something, he doesn't just add “not”, he surrounds the verb with the words ne and pas. It's like a sandwich, where avoir is the filling and negation is the buns.
How is the negation formed?
The formula is simple:
Substantive + ne + avoir + pas + the rest of the sentence.
For example:
✅ J'ai un chat. - I have a cat.
❌ Je n'ai pas de chat. - I don't have a cat.
Notice that after the negation, the article un / une / des turns into de. This rule works almost always:
✅ Elle a des amis. - She has friends.
❌ Elle n'a pas d'amis. - She doesn't have any friends.
Table of negative forms of avoir
How is the negation formed?
The formula is simple:
Substantive + ne + avoir + pas + the rest of the sentence.
For example:
✅ J'ai un chat. - I have a cat.
❌ Je n'ai pas de chat. - I don't have a cat.
Notice that after the negation, the article un / une / des turns into de. This rule works almost always:
✅ Elle a des amis. - She has friends.
❌ Elle n'a pas d'amis. - She doesn't have any friends.
Table of negative forms of avoir
Why does ne sometimes become n'?
When avoir begins with a vowel (ai, as, a, avons, avez, ont), ne is shortened to n'. This is done to make it easier to speak.
✅ Je n'ai pas de frère. (not ne ai).
✅ Il n'a pas d'argent. (not ne a)
Important!
If there is a verb after avoir, then it is already a compound tense, and the negation is put around the whole avoir. For example:
✅ J'ai mangé. - I ate.
❌ Je n'ai pas mangé. - I haven't eaten.
Now you know how to say not only that you have something, but also that you don't have it!
When avoir begins with a vowel (ai, as, a, avons, avez, ont), ne is shortened to n'. This is done to make it easier to speak.
✅ Je n'ai pas de frère. (not ne ai).
✅ Il n'a pas d'argent. (not ne a)
Important!
If there is a verb after avoir, then it is already a compound tense, and the negation is put around the whole avoir. For example:
✅ J'ai mangé. - I ate.
❌ Je n'ai pas mangé. - I haven't eaten.
Now you know how to say not only that you have something, but also that you don't have it!
When French wants to ask if someone has something, three ways are used:
1. Simple intonation (colloquial version)
This is simple: you take a normal affirmative sentence and make your voice higher at the end.
✅ Tu as un chien ? - Do you have a dog?
✅ Vous avez du temps ? - Do you have time ?
This way is the most popular in colloquial speech because it sounds natural.
2. est-ce que ... ? (universal way)
If you want to sound a bit more formal, you add the magic Est-ce que to the beginning and the question is ready.
✅ Est-ce que tu as un chien ?
✅ Est-ce que vous avez du temps ?
This variant is often found in textbooks and sounds more polite.
3. reverse word order (official variant)
This is the most “bookish” and officially correct way. The verb is placed before the subject and a hyphen is added between them.
✅ As-tu un chien ?
✅ Avez-vous du temps ?
⚠️ Note: If the verb ends in a vowel and the subject begins with a vowel (e.g. il a), the -t- is inserted between them for beauty:
✅ A-t-il un chien ? - Does he have a dog ?
✅ A-t-elle une voiture ? - Does she have a car ?
Summary table
1. Simple intonation (colloquial version)
This is simple: you take a normal affirmative sentence and make your voice higher at the end.
✅ Tu as un chien ? - Do you have a dog?
✅ Vous avez du temps ? - Do you have time ?
This way is the most popular in colloquial speech because it sounds natural.
2. est-ce que ... ? (universal way)
If you want to sound a bit more formal, you add the magic Est-ce que to the beginning and the question is ready.
✅ Est-ce que tu as un chien ?
✅ Est-ce que vous avez du temps ?
This variant is often found in textbooks and sounds more polite.
3. reverse word order (official variant)
This is the most “bookish” and officially correct way. The verb is placed before the subject and a hyphen is added between them.
✅ As-tu un chien ?
✅ Avez-vous du temps ?
⚠️ Note: If the verb ends in a vowel and the subject begins with a vowel (e.g. il a), the -t- is inserted between them for beauty:
✅ A-t-il un chien ? - Does he have a dog ?
✅ A-t-elle une voiture ? - Does she have a car ?
Summary table
The interrogative form
💡 In everyday life, the French most often use the first way, and polite questions through Est-ce que. The reverse word order sounds formal and is more common in written speech.
Now you not only know how to affirm and deny, but also how to ask!
Now you not only know how to affirm and deny, but also how to ask!
Strong expressions with the verb avoir
The verb avoir in French is not only “to have”, but also a whole bunch of expressions that sound strange if you translate them word for word. Here are a few examples that are sure to come in handy.
First, age in French is have. Instead of “I am 20 years old” you should say J'ai 20 ans - “I have 20 years.” It's always said this way, even if one wants to say “I am young” or “I am old” because it's just a rule.
Secondly, feelings and states of mind are also “have”. The French don't say “I am hungry”, they say J'ai faim - “I have hunger”. Similarly with thirst (J'ai soif - I am thirsty), cold (J'ai froid - I am cold), heat (J'ai chaud - I am hot) and even fear (J'ai peur - I am afraid).
In addition, avoir is used in expressions that denote mental ability. For example, if a person is right, the French will say Il a raison - “He has the rightness”. And if he is wrong - Il a tort (“He has a mistake”).
Another useful expression is avoir besoin de, which means “to need”. For example, if you need a telephone, you would say J'ai besoin d'un téléphone.
And, of course, you can't do without avoir when talking about luck. J'ai de la chance is not “I am lucky”, but “I have luck”.
It is better not to translate these expressions word for word, but to memorize them in their entirety, because they occur in the language all the time.
First, age in French is have. Instead of “I am 20 years old” you should say J'ai 20 ans - “I have 20 years.” It's always said this way, even if one wants to say “I am young” or “I am old” because it's just a rule.
Secondly, feelings and states of mind are also “have”. The French don't say “I am hungry”, they say J'ai faim - “I have hunger”. Similarly with thirst (J'ai soif - I am thirsty), cold (J'ai froid - I am cold), heat (J'ai chaud - I am hot) and even fear (J'ai peur - I am afraid).
In addition, avoir is used in expressions that denote mental ability. For example, if a person is right, the French will say Il a raison - “He has the rightness”. And if he is wrong - Il a tort (“He has a mistake”).
Another useful expression is avoir besoin de, which means “to need”. For example, if you need a telephone, you would say J'ai besoin d'un téléphone.
And, of course, you can't do without avoir when talking about luck. J'ai de la chance is not “I am lucky”, but “I have luck”.
It is better not to translate these expressions word for word, but to memorize them in their entirety, because they occur in the language all the time.
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