Learn French: Nous avons froid dans cette maison.

Nous avons froid dans cette maison.

We are cold in this house.

Breakdown of Nous avons froid dans cette maison.

nous

we / us (object pronoun)

to be cold (to feel cold)

Questions & Answers about Nous avons froid dans cette maison.

Why does the French sentence use avons (have) instead of a word for 'are'?

In English, you 'are' cold, but in French, you 'have' cold. French uses the verb avoir (to have) for physical feelings like being cold (avoir froid), hot (avoir chaud), or hungry (avoir faim).

Does froid need an 's' at the end since nous is plural?

No, it stays exactly as froid. In expressions with avoir, the word froid acts like a noun (meaning 'coldness') rather than an adjective describing the people. Because of this, it never adds an 's' for plural.

Why is the word for 'this' cette instead of ce?

The word for 'this' changes depending on the gender of the noun. Because maison (house) is feminine, you must use the feminine form cette. You would use ce for a masculine noun.

Do I pronounce the 's' at the end of nous here?

Yes, you pronounce it like a 'z' sound. Because nous ends in a consonant and avons starts with a vowel, you connect the two words when speaking. This connection is called a liaison.