Like être, the verb avoir (to have) is an irregular verb in the present tense. That means that its conjugation does not follow a regular pattern and all its forms must be memorized.
AVOIR – Present tense, Everyday Expressions and Idioms / French conjugation course
| Person | French | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1st person | J’ai | I have |
| 2nd person | Tu as | You have |
| 3rd person | Il a Elle a On a |
He/it has She/it has One has/we have |
| Person | French | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1st person | Nous avons | We have |
| 2nd person | Vous avez | You have (formal or plural) |
| 3rd person | Ils ont Elles ont |
They (masc.) have They (fem.) have |
Important Notes
- When the conjugated verb begins with a vowel, je changes to j’. This elision always occurs when je precedes a vowel or silent h. When elision is made between two words, they are pronounced as one word.
- In the plural forms liaison occurs; the s of the pronoun is linked to the following vowel sound and pronounced like a z.
Uses
To show possession:
Il a deux livres. / He has two books.
To talk about age (avoir + number + ans):
J’ai vingt ans. / I’m twenty years old.
To express “there is/there are”:
Il y a vingt-six étudiants dans la salle de classe. / There are twenty-six students in the classroom.
Il y a une bonne cafétéria à l’université. / There is a good cafeteria at the University.
Il y a une bonne cafétéria à l’université. / There is a good cafeteria at the University.
Exercise: Conjugating Avoir (This exercise needs to be recreated by NC, there are mistakes with the answers)
Fill in the Blanks
This section includes content derived from Avoir Liberté, originally released under CC BY-NC-SA.
