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FRENCH VERB

avoir

to have

  • #2 most used
  • Irregular -ir verb
  • Past participle: eu
  • Present participle: ayant

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present

Présent · now, habits and facts

  1. je I have
  2. tu you have
  3. il, elle, on he/she has
  4. nous we have
  5. vous you have
  6. ils, elles they have

Past

Passé composé · finished actions

  1. je I had
  2. tu you had
  3. il, elle, on he/she had
  4. nous we had
  5. vous you had
  6. ils, elles they had

Imperfect

Imparfait · “used to” and “was …ing”

  1. je I used to have
  2. tu you used to have
  3. il, elle, on he/she used to have
  4. nous we used to have
  5. vous you used to have
  6. ils, elles they used to have

Future

Futur simple · plans; in speech, “je vais parler” is just as common

  1. je I will have
  2. tu you will have
  3. il, elle, on he/she will have
  4. nous we will have
  5. vous you will have
  6. ils, elles they will have

Conditional

Conditionnel · “would”, polite requests

  1. je I would have
  2. tu you would have
  3. il, elle, on he/she would have
  4. nous we would have
  5. vous you would have
  6. ils, elles they would have

Present subjunctive

Subjonctif présent · wishes, doubts, “il faut que …”

  1. je (that) I have
  2. tu (that) you have
  3. il, elle, on (that) he/she have
  4. nous (that) we have
  5. vous (that) you have
  6. ils, elles (that) they have

Imperative

Impératif · requests and orders

  1. tu have!
  2. nous have! (let’s)
  3. vous have! (plural, or formal)

How to use avoir

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present

    Vous avez une table pour deux ?

    Do you have a table for two?

  2. Past

    J'ai eu un petit problème avec ma voiture.

    I had a small problem with my car.

  3. Imperfect

    Avant, on avait un chien qui s'appelait Max.

    We used to have a dog called Max.

  4. Future

    Tu auras le temps de passer à la boulangerie ?

    Will you have time to stop by the bakery?

  5. Conditional

    Vous auriez de la monnaie sur dix euros ?

    Would you have change for ten euros?

  6. Present subjunctive

    Je ne pense pas qu'il ait ton numéro.

    I don't think he has your number.

  7. Imperative

    N'aie pas peur, le chien est gentil.

    Don't be afraid, the dog is friendly.

Good to know

  • Avoir says what you feel as well : avoir faim, avoir soif, avoir chaud, avoir vingt ans.
  • Il y a is there is or there are.

Where you hear avoir

The lessons that teach a form of it, and how they say it.

French · Beginner Level 1

  • J'ai deux billets pour Lyon. I have two tickets to Lyon.
  • Hier, j'ai eu une longue journée. Yesterday I had a long day.
  • Demain, je vais avoir le temps. Tomorrow I'm going to have time.

French · Beginner Level 2

  • J'ai deux billets pour Lyon. I have two tickets to Lyon.
  • Hier, j'ai eu une longue journée. Yesterday I had a long day.
  • Demain, je vais avoir le temps. Tomorrow I'm going to have time.
7
I'm Hungry

Beginner Level 1 · j'ai · tu as · il y a

Needs a subscription 9
What's Your Number?

Beginner Level 1 · vous avez · je n'ai pas

Needs a subscription 13
What Time Is It?

Beginner Level 1 · on a

Needs a subscription 18
Your Family

Beginner Level 1 · ils ont · il a · elle a

Needs a subscription 24
A Present for Chloe

Beginner Level 1 · Vous l'avez ?

Needs a subscription 17
When I Was Little

Beginner Level 2 · il y avait · il n'y avait pas

Needs a subscription 26
A Homesick Evening

Beginner Level 2 · j'avais · N'aie pas peur !

Needs a subscription 27
Have You Ever...?

Beginner Level 2 · Tu as déjà... ? · j'ai déjà

Needs a subscription 28
One Day...

Beginner Level 2 · si j'avais le temps · si j'avais de l'argent

Needs a subscription 11
Packing for Brittany

Beginner Level 3 · il y aura

Needs a subscription 17
Oysters at the Market

Beginner Level 3 · il y en a

Needs a subscription 26
A Talk with Nathalie

Beginner Level 3 · vous aurez

Needs a subscription

Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: irregular -ir verb.