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FRENCH VERB

avoir mal

to hurt

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

Conjugation

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

Present

Présent · now, habits and facts

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

Past

Passé composé · finished actions

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

Imperfect

Imparfait · “used to” and “was …ing”

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

Future

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

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

Conditional

Conditionnel · “would”, polite requests

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

Present subjunctive

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

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

Imperative

Impératif · requests and orders

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

How to use avoir mal

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

  1. Present

    J'ai mal à la tête depuis ce matin.

    I've had a headache since this morning.

  2. Past

    Elle a eu mal au ventre toute la nuit.

    She had a stomach ache all night.

  3. Imperfect

    J'avais tellement mal que je ne dormais plus.

    It hurt so much I couldn't sleep anymore.

  4. Future

    Tu auras mal aux jambes demain, c'est sûr.

    Your legs will hurt tomorrow, that's for sure.

  5. Conditional

    Sans ces chaussures, j'aurais moins mal aux pieds.

    Without these shoes, my feet would hurt less.

  6. Present subjunctive

    J'ai peur qu'il ait mal après l'opération.

    I'm afraid he'll be in pain after the operation.

  7. Imperative

    N'ayez pas mal pour rien : prenez un cachet.

    Don't suffer for nothing: take a tablet.

Good to know

  • Say where it hurts with à : j'ai mal à la tête, j'ai mal au dos.

Where you hear avoir mal

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

French · Beginner Level 1

  • J'ai mal à la tête. I have a headache.
  • Hier, j'ai eu mal à la gorge. Yesterday I had a sore throat.
  • Demain, vous n'allez plus avoir mal. Tomorrow it won't hurt any more.
19
At the Pharmacy

Beginner Level 1 · j'ai mal à

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Verbs like this one

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