I Have (Avoir — to have)
Conjugate avoir in the present tense: j'ai, tu as, il/elle a, nous avons, vous avez, ils/elles ont. Use avoir for age, possession, and idiomatic expressions.
A lesson of French A1 — Beginner, in Être & Avoir, about 10 minutes.
By the end of this lesson, you will conjugate avoir in the present tense, use it for possession and age, and recognize its many idiomatic expressions.
Avoir: Possession, Age, and Idioms
Avoir (to have) is irregular and essential. Beyond expressing possession, it is used for age (not être!) and dozens of fixed idiomatic expressions that English renders with "to be."
Present Tense of avoir
| Pronoun | Form | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| j' | ai | zhay | I have |
| tu | as | ah | you have |
| il/elle/on | a | ah | he/she/one has |
| nous | avons | ah-vohn | we have |
| vous | avez | ah-vay | you have |
| ils/elles | ont | ohn | they have |
Note: je → j' before ai (a vowel). Always contract.
Avoir for Possession
The straightforward use:
J'ai un chien. — I have a dog. Elle a deux soeurs. — She has two sisters. Nous avons une maison. — We have a house. Ils ont beaucoup d'amis. — They have many friends.
Avoir for Age — NOT Être!
This is a common English speaker's error. In French, age uses avoir, not être:
| English | Wrong | Correct |
|---|---|---|
| I am 16 years old. | J'ai 16 ans. | |
| She is 25. | Elle a 25 ans. |
Pattern: [subject] + avoir + [number] + ans
Tu as quel âge? — How old are you? — I am eighteen years old.