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FRENCH VERB

avoir peur

to be afraid

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

Conjugation

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

Present

Présent · now, habits and facts

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

Past

Passé composé · finished actions

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

Imperfect

Imparfait · “used to” and “was …ing”

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

Future

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

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

Conditional

Conditionnel · “would”, polite requests

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

Present subjunctive

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

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

Imperative

Impératif · requests and orders

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

How to use avoir peur

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

  1. Present

    J'ai peur de rater mon examen de conduite.

    I'm afraid of failing my driving test.

  2. Past

    J'ai eu très peur quand le chien a sauté.

    I was really scared when the dog jumped.

  3. Imperfect

    Petit, j'avais peur du noir.

    As a kid, I was afraid of the dark.

  4. Future

    Tu n'auras plus peur une fois dans l'avion.

    You won't be afraid anymore once you're on the plane.

  5. Conditional

    J'aurais peur de conduire à Paris.

    I'd be afraid to drive in Paris.

  6. Present subjunctive

    Je ne veux pas que tu aies peur de me parler.

    I don't want you to be afraid to talk to me.

  7. Imperative

    N'ayez pas peur, l'eau n'est pas profonde.

    Don't be afraid, the water isn't deep.

Good to know

  • Avoir peur de quelque chose or de + infinitive : j'ai peur des araignées, j'ai peur de tomber.

Where you hear avoir peur

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

French · Beginner Level 3

  • J'ai peur de tomber. I'm afraid of falling.
  • Sur la piste verte, j'ai eu peur. On the green slope, I was afraid.
  • Demain, vous n'aurez plus peur. Tomorrow, you won't be afraid any more.
24
Skiing in the Alps

Beginner Level 3 · n'ayez pas peur

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Verbs like this one

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