French · Everyday Verbs
"to have" in French: avoir
avoir
To have in French is avoir. Say j'ai, tu as, il/elle a in the present. French uses avoir for age, hunger, and many feelings English builds with "to be".
Naming the verb
Le verbe avoir sert aussi pour l'âge.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce avoir
Say it
ah-VWAHR
/a.vwaʁ/
Avoir is ah-VWAHR. J'ai sounds like zhay. As sounds like ah. Soft French v and r in the infinitive.
"to have" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| avoir | to have Infinitive. | Infinitive. |
| j'ai / tu as / il a | I have / you have / he has Core present forms. | Core present forms. |
| avoir faim / soif | to be hungry / thirsty Classic avoir expressions. | Classic avoir expressions. |
| j'ai … ans | I am … years old Age with avoir, not être. | Age with avoir, not être. |
How to use avoir in real life
- 1Naming the verb
Le verbe avoir sert aussi pour l'âge.
The verb avoir is also used for age.
Age uses avoir: j'ai trente ans.
- 2Before lunch
Tu dois avoir faim, non ?
You must be hungry, right?
Avoir faim, not être faim. Informal tu with the infinitive avoir.
- 3Group plans
Nous avons une voiture bleue.
We have a blue car.
Nous avons keeps the stem of avoir clear.
Mistakes English speakers make with avoir
Incorrect: Je suis faim.
Correct: J'ai faim. / Avoir faim.
Hunger uses avoir: j'ai faim.
Incorrect: Je suis 20 ans.
Correct: J'ai 20 ans. (avec avoir)
Age also uses avoir.
Good to know
Avoir carries many fixed feelings: avoir sommeil (to be sleepy), avoir peur (to be afraid), avoir raison (to be right). Spotting these chunks matters more than translating "have" word for word.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Packing for a weekend trip
ChatPal
Vous avez votre billet ?
Do you have your ticket?
You
Oui, j'ai le billet. Et vous, vous avez le plan ?
Yes, I have the ticket. And you, do you have the map?
ChatPal
Nous avons tout. Tu as faim avant de partir ?
We have everything. Are you hungry before we leave?
You
Un peu. Avoir faim après les bagages, c'est normal.
A bit. Being hungry after the bags is normal.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"to have" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to have" in French
What are the basic present forms?
J'ai, tu as, il/elle/on a, nous avons, vous avez, ils/elles ont.
Why j'ai faim and not je suis faim?
French builds that feeling with avoir. Learn it as a chunk.
Is avoir used in the past tense?
Yes. Many verbs form the passé composé with avoir as the auxiliary.
How do you pronounce j'ai?
Like zhay—the j merges with ai.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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