Avoir is the verb to have — and after être, it is the most frequent verb in French. It does three jobs that you cannot get through a sentence without: it expresses possession (j'ai une voiture), it is the default auxiliary for compound tenses (j'ai mangé, j'avais vu, j'aurai fini), and it is the verb behind a long list of sensation and state idioms where English uses to be (j'ai faim, j'ai chaud, j'ai 25 ans). On top of that, the existential construction il y a ("there is / there are") is built on avoir, not être.
This page is the verb-reference entry: every paradigm, every compound tense, the major uses with examples, and the idioms. Use it as a lookup. The detail pages cover individual topics in depth.
The simple tenses
These are the tenses formed without an auxiliary — the basic conjugational paradigms. Avoir is wildly irregular and shares no clean derivation with its infinitive: most of its forms must simply be memorized.
Présent de l'indicatif
The present indicative. The most-used tense, and the foundation of every compound paradigm. Note the obligatory liaisons (marked with ‿).
| Person | Form | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| j' | ai | /ʒe/ |
| tu | as | /a/ |
| il / elle / on | a | /a/ |
| nous | avons | /nu‿zavɔ̃/ |
| vous | avez | /vu‿zave/ |
| ils / elles | ont | /il‿zɔ̃/ |
The 3pl ont is the irregular form to lock in: it does not take the regular -ent ending. Compare with être's sont and aller's vont and faire's font — these four verbs are the only ones whose 3pl present ends in -ont.
J'ai deux frères et une sœur.
I have two brothers and a sister.
Tu as une seconde ? J'ai un truc à te montrer.
Do you have a second? I've got something to show you.
Ils ont enfin trouvé un appartement à Lyon.
They've finally found an apartment in Lyon.
The pronunciation contrast ils sont /il sɔ̃/ vs ils ont /il‿zɔ̃/ is one of the most consequential in spoken French — the only spoken signal that distinguishes "they are" from "they have" is the liaison /z/ inside ils ont. Mishearing this is the source of countless misunderstandings.
Imparfait
Built on the stem av- (from the nous avons form) plus the regular imparfait endings -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient. Fully predictable from the nous form.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| j' | avais |
| tu | avais |
| il / elle / on | avait |
| nous | avions |
| vous | aviez |
| ils / elles | avaient |
Quand j'avais dix ans, on avait un chien qui s'appelait Polux.
When I was ten, we had a dog called Polux.
On avait pas vraiment le choix, à vrai dire.
We didn't really have a choice, to be honest. (informal)
Passé simple (literary)
Used in literary writing, biographies, and historical narration. Almost never spoken. The stem is eu- (the same vowel as the participle eu), pronounced /y/.
| Person | Form | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| j' | eus | /y/ |
| tu | eus | /y/ |
| il / elle / on | eut | /y/ |
| nous | eûmes | /ym/ |
| vous | eûtes | /yt/ |
| ils / elles | eurent | /yʁ/ |
The circumflex on eûmes and eûtes is obligatory — it marks the long vowel and historically descends from a lost -s- (eu(s)mes). Modern spelling reform makes the circumflex optional on i and u in many words, but it is kept on the 1pl/2pl of the passé simple and subjonctif imparfait because it disambiguates from other forms.
Il eut le pressentiment qu'il ne reverrait jamais sa mère.
He had the foreboding that he would never see his mother again. (literary)
Nous eûmes alors quelques jours pour réfléchir à notre décision.
We then had a few days to think about our decision. (literary)
Futur simple
Stem aur- (irregular — does not derive from the infinitive avoir). Endings are the regular futur endings -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| j' | aurai |
| tu | auras |
| il / elle / on | aura |
| nous | aurons |
| vous | aurez |
| ils / elles | auront |
Tu auras une réponse d'ici la fin de la semaine, promis.
You'll have an answer by the end of the week, I promise.
On aura jamais le temps de tout finir avant lundi.
We're never going to have time to finish everything before Monday.
Conditionnel présent
Same stem aur- as the futur, with the imparfait endings.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| j' | aurais |
| tu | aurais |
| il / elle / on | aurait |
| nous | aurions |
| vous | auriez |
| ils / elles | auraient |
Si j'avais le choix, j'aurais une maison près de la mer.
If I had the choice, I'd have a house near the sea.
Vous n'auriez pas une cigarette, par hasard ?
You wouldn't happen to have a cigarette, would you? (polite)
Subjonctif présent
Stem ai- / ay-. Like être, avoir has an irregular subjunctive that does not derive from the indicative ils form. Note that 1sg/2sg/3sg/3pl share the ai- stem while 1pl/2pl take ay-, mirroring the historical Latin distinction.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| (que) j' | aie |
| (que) tu | aies |
| (qu')il / elle / on | ait |
| (que) nous | ayons |
| (que) vous | ayez |
| (qu')ils / elles | aient |
The forms aie, aies, ait, aient are all pronounced /ɛ/ — four homophones distinguished only in writing. Ayons is /ɛjɔ̃/ and ayez is /ɛje/.
Il faut que tu aies de la patience avec lui.
You have to have patience with him.
Je suis content que vous ayez pu venir ce soir.
I'm glad you were able to come tonight.
Subjonctif imparfait (literary)
Used in formal literature for the past subjunctive in subordinate clauses governed by a past-tense main verb. Almost completely absent from spoken French; modern writing replaces it with the present subjunctive.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| (que) j' | eusse |
| (que) tu | eusses |
| (qu')il / elle / on | eût |
| (que) nous | eussions |
| (que) vous | eussiez |
| (qu')ils / elles | eussent |
The 3sg eût takes a circumflex — without it, the form would be eut, the passé simple. The circumflex is the only orthographic distinction between the two paradigms in the third-person singular.
Il eût été préférable qu'il eût répondu plus tôt.
It would have been preferable for him to have answered earlier. (literary)
Impératif
Three forms, taken from the subjunctive stem (not the indicative). Rare in everyday speech but obligatory in fixed expressions and elevated style.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| (tu) | aie |
| (nous) | ayons |
| (vous) | ayez |
Aie un peu de courage, ça va aller.
Have a little courage, it'll be okay.
Ayez la gentillesse de patienter quelques minutes.
Please be so kind as to wait a few minutes. (formal)
N'ayons pas peur de dire la vérité.
Let's not be afraid to tell the truth.
Participles and gérondif
- Participe passé: eu (pronounced /y/, a single vowel)
- Participe présent: ayant
- Gérondif: en ayant
Ayant compris le problème, elle a proposé une solution.
Having understood the problem, she proposed a solution.
En ayant un peu de patience, on finit par comprendre.
By having a little patience, you eventually understand.
The participle eu is one of the strangest spellings in French — three written letters representing a single sound /y/. The spelling reflects the medieval form eüt with a diaeresis on the u; the diaeresis fell away but the silent e remained.
The compound tenses
Avoir uses avoir (itself!) as its own auxiliary in compound tenses. This is the natural case — only the maison-d'être motion verbs and reflexives take être.
Passé composé
avoir (présent) + eu
| Person | Form | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| j' | ai eu | I had / I've had |
| tu | as eu | you had |
| il / elle / on | a eu | he/she/we had |
| nous | avons eu | we had |
| vous | avez eu | you had |
| ils / elles | ont eu | they had |
J'ai eu un coup de fil de ma mère ce matin.
I had a phone call from my mother this morning.
On a eu beaucoup de chance avec la météo.
We were very lucky with the weather.
In the passé composé, avoir often shifts meaning slightly compared to the imparfait: j'avais peur describes an ongoing state (I was afraid), while j'ai eu peur describes a punctual event (I got scared / I had a moment of fear). This aspectual contrast is the same that drives the imparfait/passé composé distinction generally.
Plus-que-parfait
avoir (imparfait) + eu
J'avais eu cette idée bien avant lui.
I'd had that idea long before him.
Elle nous a dit qu'elle avait eu un accident la veille.
She told us she'd had an accident the day before.
Futur antérieur
avoir (futur) + eu
Quand tu rentreras, j'aurai eu le temps de tout ranger.
When you get back, I'll have had time to tidy everything up.
Conditionnel passé
avoir (conditionnel) + eu
Sans cette panne, on aurait eu le train de huit heures.
Without that breakdown, we'd have caught the eight o'clock train.
Subjonctif passé
avoir (subjonctif) + eu
Je suis désolée que vous ayez eu autant de problèmes.
I'm sorry you've had so many problems.
The three core uses
1. Possession
The most frequent use. Avoir connects a subject to something it possesses — physically, abstractly, or socially.
J'ai un appartement à Marseille.
I have an apartment in Marseille.
Tu as les yeux de ton père.
You have your father's eyes.
On a une réunion à quatorze heures.
We have a meeting at two p.m.
Possession in French is more elastic than English: avoir is used for relationships (j'ai deux enfants), abstract qualities (il a beaucoup d'humour), and physical states (tu as une petite mine, "you look a bit pale"). English often uses to be for these (you look pale), French stays with avoir.
2. Auxiliary: compound tenses of most verbs
Avoir is the default auxiliary for the compound tenses of every transitive verb and most intransitive verbs. The exceptions are the maison-d'être motion verbs (aller, venir, arriver, partir, etc.) and all reflexive verbs, which take être.
J'ai mangé une salade au déjeuner.
I had a salad for lunch.
Tu as vu le dernier film de Desplechin ?
Have you seen Desplechin's latest film?
On a beaucoup ri toute la soirée.
We laughed a lot all evening.
When avoir is the auxiliary, the past participle agrees with a preceding direct object (la pomme que j'ai mangée) — not with the subject. This is one of French's most distinctive grammar points and is treated in detail on the agreement-with-avoir page.
3. Sensation and state idioms
This is the use English speakers find most counterintuitive. A long list of physical and emotional states that English expresses with to be + adjective is expressed in French with avoir + noun.
| French | English | Literal |
|---|---|---|
| avoir faim | to be hungry | to have hunger |
| avoir soif | to be thirsty | to have thirst |
| avoir chaud | to be hot | to have heat |
| avoir froid | to be cold | to have cold |
| avoir peur | to be afraid | to have fear |
| avoir sommeil | to be sleepy | to have sleep |
| avoir honte | to be ashamed | to have shame |
| avoir raison | to be right | to have reason |
| avoir tort | to be wrong | to have wrong |
| avoir besoin de | to need | to have need of |
| avoir envie de | to feel like / want | to have desire of |
| avoir mal à | to hurt / have a sore | to have pain at |
| avoir ans | to be years old | to have years |
J'ai très faim, on mange bientôt ?
I'm really hungry, are we eating soon?
Ferme la fenêtre, j'ai froid.
Close the window, I'm cold.
Elle a vingt-sept ans depuis hier.
She turned twenty-seven yesterday. (literally: she has 27 years since yesterday)
J'ai mal au dos depuis ce matin.
My back has been hurting since this morning.
On a vraiment envie de partir en vacances.
We really feel like going on vacation.
The grammatical logic: in these constructions, the noun (faim, froid, peur) functions like a possession — you "have" hunger, the way you might "have" a book. This is why these expressions take no article (j'ai faim, not j'ai la faim) and modify with adverbs of quantity (j'ai très faim, j'ai un peu froid) rather than adverbs of degree as if they were adjectives. Treating faim as an adjective and trying to say je suis faim is a foundational error.
Il y a — the existential construction
Crucial for English speakers: "there is / there are" in French is il y a — built on avoir, not être. Singular and plural use the same form: il y a un chat, il y a des chats. The construction is impersonal — the il is a dummy subject (like English "it" in "it's raining"), not a referential pronoun.
Il y a un problème avec la connexion.
There's a problem with the connection.
Il y a beaucoup de touristes au Louvre en été.
There are a lot of tourists at the Louvre in summer.
Il n'y a personne au bureau le vendredi après-midi.
There's no one at the office on Friday afternoons.
Il y a also expresses elapsed time meaning "ago": il y a deux ans = "two years ago." This is purely a French idiom — English uses a postposed ago; French uses a prefixed il y a.
Je l'ai rencontré il y a trois mois à une conférence.
I met him three months ago at a conference.
Il y a longtemps qu'on ne s'est pas vus.
It's been a long time since we've seen each other.
In all tenses, il y a conjugates as avoir: imparfait il y avait, futur il y aura, conditionnel il y aurait, subjonctif il y ait, passé composé il y a eu.
Other useful avoir idioms
- avoir l'air
- adjective — to look / seem (tu as l'air fatigué)
- avoir lieu — to take place (la réunion a lieu demain)
- avoir affaire à — to be dealing with (on a affaire à un escroc)
- en avoir assez / marre — to be fed up (j'en ai marre de cette pluie)
- avoir du mal à
- infinitive — to have trouble doing (j'ai du mal à dormir)
- avoir hâte de
- infinitive — to look forward to (j'ai hâte de te voir)
- avoir l'habitude de — to be used to (j'ai l'habitude de me lever tôt)
- avoir tendance à — to tend to (il a tendance à exagérer)
- en avoir pour
- duration — to take (a duration) (j'en ai pour cinq minutes)
Tu as l'air en pleine forme aujourd'hui.
You look in great shape today.
J'ai hâte d'être en vacances.
I can't wait to be on vacation.
J'en ai pour deux minutes, attends-moi.
I'll only be two minutes, wait for me.
Comparison with English
Three friction points dominate:
- Sensations and age use avoir, not être. J'ai faim, not je suis faim. J'ai 25 ans, not je suis 25 ans. The list of these idioms is closed — memorize it. Saying je suis chaud not only fails to mean "I am hot (temperature)" — it can be heard as a sexual remark in colloquial French.
- "There is / there are" uses avoir. Il y a, not il est. The two-letter difference is a constant trap, and il y a also means "ago" with a time expression.
- Past-participle agreement is unusual. With avoir as auxiliary, the participle agrees with a preceding direct object: les pommes que j'ai mangées (feminine plural agreement on mangées because les pommes precedes). With no preceding direct object, no agreement: j'ai mangé les pommes.
Beyond these, French avoir and English have line up cleanly for the possession use and the auxiliary use. The aspectual contrast in compound tenses (j'ai eu peur = punctual, j'avais peur = ongoing) is also intuitive once you grasp the imparfait/passé composé split.
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Using être for sensations.
❌ Je suis faim.
Wrong — sensations and physical states use avoir, not être.
✅ J'ai faim.
I'm hungry.
❌ Je suis 25 ans.
Wrong — age uses avoir.
✅ J'ai 25 ans.
I'm 25 years old.
Mistake 2: Saying il est for "there is."
❌ Il est beaucoup de monde ici.
Wrong — French uses il y a (built on avoir) for existential 'there is / there are'.
✅ Il y a beaucoup de monde ici.
There are a lot of people here.
Mistake 3: Adding an article to a sensation idiom.
❌ J'ai la faim.
Wrong — these expressions take no article, because the noun behaves like a quasi-possession, not a definite thing.
✅ J'ai faim.
I'm hungry.
Mistake 4: Using avoir as auxiliary for maison-d'être verbs.
❌ J'ai allé au marché.
Wrong — aller takes être as auxiliary in compound tenses.
✅ Je suis allé au marché.
I went to the market.
Mistake 5: Forgetting agreement with preceding direct object.
❌ Les lettres que j'ai écrit.
Wrong — when avoir is auxiliary, the participle agrees with a preceding direct object: les lettres (f. pl.) → écrites.
✅ Les lettres que j'ai écrites.
The letters I wrote.
Key takeaways
Avoir is the second-most-frequent verb in French and one of the most heavily overloaded. It expresses possession (j'ai un livre), serves as the default auxiliary for compound tenses (j'ai mangé, j'avais vu), and powers a long list of sensation idioms where English uses to be (j'ai faim, j'ai chaud, j'ai 25 ans).
The simple-tense paradigms are wildly irregular: present ai-as-a-avons-avez-ont, futur stem aur-, subjunctive stem ai-/ay-, past simple stem eu-. The participle eu is pronounced /y/ — a single vowel.
In compound tenses, avoir is its own auxiliary: j'ai eu, j'avais eu, j'aurai eu. The construction il y a ("there is / there are") and the time idiom il y a + duration ("ago") are both built on avoir — never substitute être in either.
Memorize the paradigms cold; reread the sensation-idiom list; use the page as a lookup. Avoir is the engine of French compound tenses — getting it right is the foundation for the passé composé and every more complex tense built on top of it.
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