Avoir in the Present Tense

Avoir (to have) is the second most important verb in French. Like être, it is completely irregular. Beyond its basic meaning of "to have," avoir is used in a wide range of idiomatic expressions and serves as the auxiliary verb for most compound tenses. This lesson provides the full present tense conjugation, its many uses, and extensive practice.

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The Conjugation

Subject Pronoun	Conjugation	Pronunciation	English
j'	ai	"ay"	I have
tu	as	"ah"	you have (informal)
il / elle / on	a	"ah"	he/she/one has
nous	avons	"ah-VOHN"	we have
vous	avez	"ah-VAY"	you have (formal/plural)
ils / elles	ont	"ohn"	they have

Note: Je becomes j' before ai because ai starts with a vowel (elision). Also note the liaison in nous avons ("noo-zah-VOHN"), vous avez ("voo-zah-VAY"), ils ont ("eel-ZOHN"), and elles ont ("ehl-ZOHN").

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Avoir for Possession

The most straightforward use of avoir is to express possession.

French	English
J'ai un chien.	I have a dog.
Tu as une voiture ?	Do you have a car?
Il a trois frères.	He has three brothers.
Elle a un beau jardin.	She has a beautiful garden.
Nous avons une maison.	We have a house.
Vous avez des enfants ?	Do you have children?
Ils ont beaucoup d'argent.	They have a lot of money.

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Avoir for Age

As introduced in the previous lesson, French uses avoir (not être) to express age.

French	English
J'ai vingt ans.	I am twenty (years old).
Tu as quel âge ? / Quel âge as-tu ?	How old are you?
Il a trente-cinq ans.	He is thirty-five.
Ma fille a huit ans.	My daughter is eight.
Quel âge a-t-il ?	How old is he?

Note the -t- in inversion: When inverting il/elle/on + a, a -t- is inserted for pronunciation: a-t-il ?, a-t-elle ?, a-t-on ? This is because a ends in a vowel and il/elle/on start with a vowel, creating an awkward pause. The -t- is purely phonetic.

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Avoir for Physical Sensations and States

These are the expressions where English uses "to be" but French uses avoir.

French	English
J'ai faim.	I am hungry.
J'ai soif.	I am thirsty.
J'ai chaud.	I am hot.
J'ai froid.	I am cold.
J'ai sommeil.	I am sleepy.
J'ai mal à la tête.	I have a headache.
J'ai mal au ventre.	I have a stomach ache.
J'ai mal aux dents.	I have a toothache.

Avoir Mal à — Expressing Pain

The construction avoir mal à + body part means "to have pain in" or "to have a ... ache":

French	English
J'ai mal à la tête.	I have a headache.
Il a mal au dos.	He has a backache.
Elle a mal aux pieds.	She has sore feet.
Tu as mal au bras ?	Does your arm hurt?

Remember the contractions: à + le = au, à + les = aux. À la and à l' do not contract.

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Avoir for Emotions and Mental States

French	English
J'ai peur.	I am afraid.
Tu as peur des araignées ?	Are you afraid of spiders?
Il a honte.	He is ashamed.
Elle a de la chance.	She is lucky.
J'ai raison.	I am right.
Tu as tort.	You are wrong.
Nous avons confiance en vous.	We have confidence in you. / We trust you.

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Other Important Avoir Expressions