🔹 1. What does avoir mean?
The verb avoir means to have in French.
It’s one of the most useful verbs and you’ll use it every day!
You use avoir to:
- Talk about what you have:
👉 I have a dog → J’ai un chien - Say your age:
👉 I am 30 years old → J’ai 30 ans (literally: I have 30 years) - Talk about feelings:
👉 I’m cold → J’ai froid
👉 She’s hungry → Elle a faim
🔹 2. Present tense of avoir (to have)
| Conjugation | Example |
|---|---|
| j’ai | J’ai un chat. (I have a cat) |
| tu as | Tu as un livre. (You have a book) |
| il / elle / on a | Elle a une idée. (She has an idea) |
| nous avons | Nous avons une voiture. (We have a car) |
| vous avez | Vous avez deux enfants. (You have two children) |
| ils / elles ont | Ils ont un chien. (They have a dog) |
🧠 Note: “je ai” becomes “j’ai” for smoother pronunciation.
🔹 3. Common expressions with avoir
In English, you say I am hungry or I’m afraid — but in French, you say I have hunger, I have fear, etc.
Here are some important phrases:
| French expression | Literal meaning | Real meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Avoir faim: J’ai faim | I have hunger | I’m hungry |
| Avoir froid: Tu as froid | You have cold | You’re cold |
| Avoir raison: Il a raison | He has reason | He’s right |
| Avoir peur: Elle a peur | She has fear | She’s afraid |
| Avoir sommeil: Nous avons sommeil | We have sleepiness | We’re sleepy |
❌ Don’t say Je suis faim
✔️ Say J’ai faim
🔹 4. Quick practice
Try to translate these English sentences into French using avoir:
- I have two brothers → __
- You (informal) have a dog → __
- She is cold → __
- We are tired → __
- They (masculine) have a problem → __
✅ Answers
- J’ai deux frères
- Tu as un chien
- Elle a froid
- Nous avons sommeil
- Ils ont un problème
🌟Quiz
Ready for the next step? Take this quiz to evaluate your use of the verb avoir.
🟢 Conclusion
The verb avoir is one of the most important verbs in French.
👉 Learn it well! It will help you speak about yourself, your feelings, your age, your life!