By the end of this lesson you'll be able to use avoir (to have) with every subject pronoun, give your age, say you're hungry or cold, and say what there is somewhere with il y a.
The second big verb
Avoir means "to have". Along with être, it's one of the two most important verbs in French, and it's irregular, so you learn the forms by heart. You'll use the pronouns from the subject pronouns lesson.
| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| avoir | ah-VWAHR | to have |
| j'ai | ZHAY | I have |
| tu as | tew AH | you have (informal) |
| il a / elle a | ee-LAH / eh-LAH | he has / she has / it has |
| on a | oh-NAH | we have (casual) |
| nous avons | noo-zah-VOHN | we have |
| vous avez | voo-zah-VAY | you have (formal or plural) |
| ils ont / elles ont | eel-ZOHN / el-ZOHN | they have |
A few things to notice:
- J'ai always shortens, because ai starts with a vowel.
- Nous avons, vous avez, ils ont and elles ont all link. The normally silent s is pronounced as a z sound, joining the two words.
- Tu as and il a sound alike at the end, since the s of as is silent.
Having things and people
Avoir usually comes before un, une or des, which you learned in the lesson on un, une and des, or before a number.
J'ai une voiture.
I have a car.
Tu as un stylo ?
Do you have a pen?
Elle a deux enfants.
She has two children.
This is also the verb behind the phrase you used in the family lesson: J'ai un frère et une sœur.
Giving your age
As the numbers lesson showed in passing, French uses avoir for age. You "have" your years, and you always need the word ans.
| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| un an | uh-NAHN | a yearUsed with avoir for age: j'ai vingt ans. |
| Tu as quel âge ? | tew ah kel AHZH | How old are you? (informal)Also: Quel âge as-tu ? |
| Vous avez quel âge ? | voo-zah-vay kel AHZH | How old are you? (formal or plural)Also: Quel âge avez-vous ? |
J'ai vingt ans. Et toi ?
I'm twenty. And you?
Le fils de Marie a six ans.
Marie's son is six.
The usual link applies between a number and ans, so the end of the number joins on to the vowel. Tu as quel âge ? is what you'll hear most in conversation. Quel âge as-tu ? is a little more formal.
Hungry, thirsty, hot and cold
For a few physical feelings, French uses avoir with a noun where English uses "to be" with an adjective. You literally "have hunger".
| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| avoir faim | ah-vwahr FAN | to be hungry |
| avoir soif | ah-vwahr SWAHF | to be thirsty |
| avoir chaud | ah-vwahr SHOH | to feel hot |
| avoir froid | ah-vwahr FRWAH | to feel cold |
J'ai faim !
I'm hungry!
Vous avez froid ?
Are you cold?
Faim, soif, chaud and froid stay exactly as they are, whoever is speaking: Elle a faim, Nous avons froid.
There is, there are: il y a
Il y a is one fixed phrase meaning "there is" or "there are". Learn it as a single piece. It never changes, even with a plural.
| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| il y a | eel-YAH | there is, there are |
Il y a un livre ici.
There's a book here.
Il y a deux chaises.
There are two chairs.
Putting it together
Here's a short chat between two students who have just met. Notice that they use tu with each other, and that avoir handles the family, the age and the hunger.
- Tu as des frères et sœurs ? (Do you have brothers and sisters?)
- Oui, j'ai une sœur. Elle a dix ans. Et toi ? (Yes, I have a sister. She's ten. And you?)
- J'ai deux frères. Tu as faim ? (I have two brothers. Are you hungry?)
- Oui ! Il y a un café ici ? (Yes! Is there a café here?)
What's next
With avoir and être together, you can describe almost anyone. Next, the lesson on mon, ma and mes shows how to say "my brother" or "your car". Then the lesson on describing people uses avoir for features: Il a les yeux bleus. You can also compare the two verbs by going back to the lesson on être.