Quick answer: Avoir means “to have.” It is irregular: j’ai, tu as, il/elle/on a, nous avons, vous avez, ils/elles ont. French also uses avoir, not être, for many feelings and for age: avoir faim (to be hungry), avoir froid (to be cold), avoir quinze ans (to be fifteen). Avoir besoin de means “to need.”
Level: French 1 (high school, ACTFL Novice) · Standards: ACTFL Novice Mid, WL 1.1 Interpersonal, WL 1.2 Interpretive, WL 1.3 Presentational
How do you conjugate avoir in the present tense?
Avoir means “to have.” Its forms do not follow the regular pattern, and the verb is also the helper in the past tense, so learn it early.
| Subject | Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| j’ | ai | I have |
| tu | as | you have (informal) |
| il / elle / on | a | he / she / one has |
| nous | avons | we have |
| vous | avez | you have (formal or plural) |
| ils / elles | ont | they have |
Possession and the negative
Use avoir + a noun to say what someone owns or has: Awa a un vélo rouge. — Awa has a red bike. In the negative, un, une, des become de (or d’ before a vowel): Je n’ai pas de frère. — I don’t have a brother.
Which feelings does French say with avoir?
English says “I am hungry.” French says “I have hunger.” These expressions are fixed, so no article is needed.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| avoir faim | to be hungry |
| avoir soif | to be thirsty |
| avoir chaud / froid | to be hot / cold |
| avoir peur (de) | to be afraid (of) |
| avoir sommeil | to be sleepy |
| avoir raison / tort | to be right / wrong |
| avoir besoin de | to need |
| avoir … ans | to be … years old |
Common mistake
English speakers say Je suis faim or Je suis quinze ans. Both are wrong. Correct: J’ai faim. and J’ai quinze ans. Also, Il a froid describes a person, while Il fait froid describes the weather.
Examples
- Nous avons soif après le match. — We are thirsty after the game.
- Mathis a besoin d’un stylo. — Mathis needs a pen.
- Vous avez raison, Madame. — You are right, ma’am.
Culture note
In Québec, dîner means lunch and souper means dinner. In France, people say déjeuner for lunch and dîner for dinner. Check which one your host family uses before you say J’ai faim !
Zoé’s tip
Picture a tiny backpack labeled “I carry hunger.” If you carry it, use avoir. Ask yourself: can I say “I have” in a silly way? Then avoir is probably the right verb.
Key points to remember
- Avoir is irregular, so each of the six forms must be memorized.
- J’ai is written with an apostrophe because je drops its e before a vowel sound.
- Hunger, thirst, heat, cold, fear, sleepiness, being right and age all use avoir in French.
- After a negation, un/une/des become de or d’ (je n’ai pas de frère).
- Avoir besoin de + noun or infinitive means “to need (something / to do something).”
Having, Needing and Feeling with Avoir: frequently asked questions
How do you say “I am hungry” in French?
Say “J’ai faim,” which literally means “I have hunger.” French uses avoir for hunger, thirst, cold, heat, fear and sleepiness. Never use être with these expressions.
How do you say your age in French?
Use avoir plus the number plus ans: “J’ai quinze ans.” The word ans must stay in the sentence, even though English often drops “years old.”
Why is it “j’ai” and not “je ai”?
Je drops its final e before a vowel sound and becomes j’. This is called elision. It also happens with ne (n’ai) and de (d’amis).
What does avoir besoin de mean?
It means “to need.” Add a noun after de (“J’ai besoin d’un cahier”) or an infinitive (“J’ai besoin de dormir”). Before a vowel, de becomes d’.
What is the difference between il a froid and il fait froid?
Il a froid means a person feels cold. Il fait froid describes the weather: it is cold outside. Only people take avoir; the weather uses faire.