LingoLadder Search
French grammar

The Verb Avoir (To Have) - Present

Updated 1 Nov 2026 5 min read LingoLadder Editorial Team
Cover: Avoir (to have) — A1 · present tense, with examples: j'ai, tu as, il a, nous avons
Short answer

Avoir means to have and is irregular: j'ai, tu as, il/elle a, nous avons, vous avez, ils/elles ont. French also uses it where English uses to be: J'ai vingt ans (I am 20), J'ai faim (I am hungry).

On this page11 sections · tap to jump
  1. 01The rule
  2. 02Forms
  3. 03How to say it
  4. 04Example sentences
  5. 05Common mistakes
  6. 06A short conversation
  7. 07Usage notes
  8. 08Compared with…
  9. 09Practice
  10. 10Quiz
  11. 11Recap cheat-sheet

Level: A1. Avoir means to have, and it is one of the two verbs French leans on most (the other is être). You use it for what you own, your age, and a whole set of feelings — and later it becomes the helper verb for the past tense. It is irregular, so you learn its six present forms by heart.

The rule

A verb is a word for an action or a state; avoir is the verb for having. The set of forms you use for each subject is the conjugation. Because avoir is irregular, the forms do not follow a regular stem-plus-ending pattern — you memorise them:

  • j’ai — I have
  • tu as — you have (one person, informal)
  • il / elle / on a — he / she / one has
  • nous avons — we have
  • vous avez — you have (polite, or plural)
  • ils / elles ont — they have

Two things trip up English speakers. First, je shortens to j’ before a vowel, so “I have” is j’ai, never je ai. Second, French uses avoir for many states where English uses to be: age (j’ai vingt ans, “I am twenty”), hunger (j’ai faim, “I am hungry”), and more. Translate these as a set, not word by word.

Avoir also builds the extremely common phrase il y a (“there is” / “there are”), and later it is the helper verb in the passé composé (j’ai mangé, “I ate”) — but that comes after you are solid on the present.

Forms

Subject avoir Meaning
je (j’) ai I have
tu as you have (informal sg)
il / elle / on a he / she / one has
nous avons we have
vous avez you have (polite / pl)
ils / elles ont they have

How to say it

French spelling hides most of these endings. A few sounds need care:

Form How to say it
j’ai One syllable, “zhay”: the vowel is like the e in “they”.
as / a Both sound the same, a short “ah”: tu as ≈ “tu ah”, il a ≈ “eel ah”. The spelling differs, the sound does not.
avons “a-VOH(n)”: the final -ons is a nasal vowel, not a hard n.
avez “a-VAY”: the -ez ending sounds like “ay”.
ont Nasal “oh(n)”, final -t silent. Compare ils ont (“eel-z oh(n)”, with a z-link) and ils sont (“eel soh(n)”) — same rhythm, different start.

Example sentences

  1. J'ai un chien.
    I have a dog.
    possession
  2. Tu as une voiture ?
    Do you have a car?
    tu as, informal
  3. Il a deux frères.
    He has two brothers.
  4. Elle a les yeux bleus.
    She has blue eyes.
  5. Nous avons un appartement à Lyon.
    We have an apartment in Lyon.
  6. Vous avez l'heure ?
    Do you have the time?
    polite you
  7. Ils ont trois enfants.
    They have three children.
  8. J'ai vingt ans.
    I am twenty (years old).
    age uses avoir
  9. Quel âge as-tu ?
    How old are you?
    lit. what age do you have
  10. J'ai faim.
    I am hungry.
    lit. I have hunger
  11. Elle a soif.
    She is thirsty.
  12. Nous avons froid.
    We are cold.
  13. Il a chaud.
    He is hot.
  14. J'ai peur des araignées.
    I am afraid of spiders.
  15. On a sommeil.
    We are sleepy.
    on = we, takes a
  16. J'ai besoin d'aide.
    I need help.
    avoir besoin de = to need
  17. Tu as envie d'un café ?
    Do you feel like a coffee?
    avoir envie de = to fancy
  18. Il y a un problème.
    There is a problem.
    il y a = there is/are
  19. Il y a des livres sur la table.
    There are books on the table.
  20. Je n'ai pas de temps.
    I do not have time.
    negative: pas de, not pas un
  21. Vous avez raison.
    You are right.
    avoir raison = to be right

Common mistakes

  • ❌ Je suis vingt ans → ✅ J’ai vingt ans. Age uses avoir, not être.
  • ❌ Je suis faim → ✅ J’ai faim. Hunger, thirst, fear and feeling hot or cold all use avoir.
  • ❌ Je ai un chien → ✅ J’ai un chien. Je must shorten to j’ before the vowel.
  • ❌ Il ont deux frères → ✅ Ils ont deux frères. A plural subject (ils) takes ont; a single il takes a.
  • ❌ Je n’ai pas un temps → ✅ Je n’ai pas de temps. After a negative, un/une/des usually becomes de.
  • ❌ Nous ont un appartement → ✅ Nous avons un appartement. Ont is for ils/elles; nous takes avons.

A short conversation

— Tu as quel âge ? — J’ai dix-huit ans. Et toi ? — Moi, j’ai vingt ans. On a faim, non ? Il y a un café là-bas. — Bonne idée, j’ai envie d’un chocolat chaud.

Usage notes

  • Possession is the core use. Avoir says what you own or what belongs to you: j’ai un vélo (I have a bike), elle a un chat (she has a cat).
  • Many feelings use avoir, not être. Learn these as fixed expressions: avoir faim (to be hungry), avoir soif (thirsty), avoir chaud/froid (hot/cold), avoir peur (afraid), avoir sommeil (sleepy), avoir raison/tort (right/wrong), avoir besoin de (to need), avoir envie de (to feel like).
  • The negative changes the article. With ne … pas, a following un/une/des usually becomes de: J’ai un stylo → Je n’ai pas de stylo. Before a vowel, ne becomes n’: Je n’ai pas….
  • On a is everyday “we have”. In speech, on replaces nous and takes the il/elle form: On a un chien means “We have a dog”, even though it looks singular.
  • Il y a never changes for number. “There is a book” and “there are books” are both il y a: il y a un livre, il y a des livres.

Compared with…

  • Être (to be): je suis, tu es, il est, nous sommes, vous êtes, ils sont. Use être for identity, origin and description, but avoir for age and bodily states: Je suis étudiant (I am a student) but J’ai faim (I am hungry). The classic error is je suis vingt ans; it must be j’ai vingt ans. Review it on The Verb Être — Present.
  • C’est vs il est. To point something out, French uses c’est (c’est un chien), which is built on être, not avoir — keep the two helper verbs separate.
  • Before you start, make sure you know the French subject pronouns je, tu, il… that go with each form of avoir.

Practice

Practice

Avoir practice

Try each one, then press Check. No sign-up, nothing is sent anywhere — it all runs in your browser.

1 Complete: 'J' ___ un chien.'
Show answer

ai — j'ai — first person singular of avoir.

Hint: the nous form of avoir

Show answer

avons — nous avons — nous takes avons.

3 Build: 'I am twenty years old.' (use avoir)

Show answer

J'ai vingt ans — Age uses avoir: J'ai vingt ans.

4 Match each subject to its form of avoir.

  • j'
  • tu
  • vous
  • ils
Show answer
  • j' → ai
  • tu → as
  • vous → avez
  • ils → ont

j'ai, tu as, vous avez, ils ont.

5 Which sentence is correct for 'I am hungry'?
Show answer

J'ai faim. — Hunger uses avoir: J'ai faim.

Cheat-sheet card: the French verb avoir in the present, je ai, tu as, il a, nous avons, vous avez, ils ont.

Quick recap before you practise.

Quiz

Check yourself

The verb avoir

14 questions · pick an answer and you'll see straight away if it's right.

0/14 0 answered
  1. 1'je' + avoir =
    Show answer

    ai — j'ai (je shortens to j').

  2. 2'tu' + avoir =
    Show answer

    as — tu as.

  3. 3'il' + avoir =
    Show answer

    a — il/elle/on a.

  4. 4'nous' + avoir =
    Show answer

    avons — nous avons.

  5. 5'vous' + avoir =
    Show answer

    avez — vous avez.

  6. 6'ils' + avoir =
    Show answer

    ont — ils/elles ont.

  7. 7Which is correct for 'I am twenty years old'?
    Show answer

    J'ai vingt ans. — Age uses avoir: J'ai vingt ans.

  8. 8Which is correct for 'She is thirsty'?
    Show answer

    Elle a soif. — avoir soif = to be thirsty.

  9. Show answer

    ai — j'ai un chien.

  10. 10Make it negative: 'J'ai un stylo.' →
    Show answer

    Je n'ai pas de stylo. — After a negative, un becomes de: Je n'ai pas de stylo.

  11. 11'Il y a' means…
    Show answer

    there is / there are — il y a = there is / there are, and never changes for number.

  12. Show answer

    ont — A plural subject takes ont: ils ont trois enfants.

  13. 13Which word is the VERB 'has' (not the preposition)?
    Show answer

    a — a with no accent is the verb; à with the grave accent is 'to/at'.

  14. 14'On a faim' means…
    Show answer

    we are hungry — on = we in speech and takes the form a; avoir faim = to be hungry.

Recap cheat-sheet

Subject avoir Note
je (j’) ai j’ before the vowel
tu as sounds like il a
il / elle / on a on = everyday ‘we’
nous avons we
vous avez polite / plural
ils / elles ont ils ont has a z-liaison

Next

Your French course

All French grammar topics

Every grammar point in order, from your first sentence to advanced structures. Pick one and go straight to it. New lessons go live every day, so topics marked Coming soon fill in over the next weeks.

Grammar path

116 topics 12 ready now
A1 32 topics · 12 ready
  1. 01 Definite Articles: le, la, les, l'
  2. 02 Indefinite Articles: un, une, des
  3. 03 Partitive Articles: du, de la, des
  4. 04 Noun Gender in French
  5. 05 Forming Plurals in French
  6. 06 Subject Pronouns (je, tu, il, nous, vous)
  7. 07 The Verb Être (To Be) - Present
  8. 08 The Verb Avoir (To Have) - Present You are here
  9. 09 Present Tense: -ER Verbs
  10. 10 Present Tense: -IR Verbs (finir)
  11. 11 Present Tense: -RE Verbs (vendre)
  12. 12 Aller + Near Future (futur proche)
  13. 13 The Verb Faire (To Do/Make) Coming soon
  14. 14 Negation: ne...pas Coming soon
  15. 15 Asking Questions (est-ce que, inversion) Coming soon
  16. 16 Adjective Agreement (Gender & Number) Coming soon
  17. 17 Position of Adjectives (BAGS) Coming soon
  18. 18 Possessive Adjectives (mon, ma, mes) Coming soon
  19. 19 Demonstrative Adjectives (ce, cette, ces) Coming soon
  20. 20 C'est vs Il/Elle Est Coming soon
  21. 21 Il Y A (There Is / There Are) Coming soon
  22. 22 Contractions: au, aux, du, des (à/de + le) Coming soon
  23. 23 Question Words (qui, que, où, quand, comment) Coming soon
  24. 24 Vouloir, Pouvoir, Devoir (Present) Coming soon
  25. 25 Aimer / Préférer + Infinitive (Preferences) Coming soon
  26. 26 Pronominal (Reflexive) Verbs - Present Coming soon
  27. 27 The Imperative (Commands) Coming soon
  28. 28 Venir and Venir De (Recent Past) Coming soon
  29. 29 Prepositions with Places (à, en, au, aux) Coming soon
  30. 30 Expressions with Avoir (avoir faim, avoir 20 ans) Coming soon
  31. 31 Prepositions of Time (à, en, dans, depuis) Coming soon
  32. 32 Weather & Impersonal Expressions (il fait, il pleut) Coming soon
A2 26 topics
  1. 33 Passé Composé with Avoir Coming soon
  2. 34 Passé Composé with Être (+ agreement) Coming soon
  3. 35 The Imperfect Tense (imparfait) Coming soon
  4. 36 Passé Composé vs Imparfait Coming soon
  5. 37 The Simple Future (futur simple) Coming soon
  6. 38 Direct Object Pronouns (le, la, les) Coming soon
  7. 39 Indirect Object Pronouns (lui, leur) Coming soon
  8. 40 The Pronoun Y Coming soon
  9. 41 The Pronoun En Coming soon
  10. 42 Comparatives (plus, moins, aussi ... que) Coming soon
  11. 43 Superlatives (le plus, le moins) Coming soon
  12. 44 Forming Adverbs in -ment Coming soon
  13. 45 Depuis, Pendant, Il Y A, Pour (Time) Coming soon
  14. 46 Partitive & Articles in the Negative (de) Coming soon
  15. 47 Expressions of Quantity (beaucoup de, trop de) Coming soon
  16. 48 Pronominal Verbs in Passé Composé Coming soon
  17. 49 Stressed (Disjunctive) Pronouns (moi, toi, lui) Coming soon
  18. 50 Possessive Pronouns (le mien, la tienne) Coming soon
  19. 51 Object Pronoun Placement & Order Coming soon
  20. 52 Adverb Position in French Coming soon
  21. 53 Savoir vs Connaître (Two Ways to Know) Coming soon
  22. 54 Il Faut + Infinitive (Necessity) Coming soon
  23. 55 Verbs + à / de + Infinitive Coming soon
  24. 56 Comparing Quantities (plus de ... que) Coming soon
  25. 57 Adverbs of Frequency (souvent, toujours, jamais) Coming soon
  26. 58 Quel in Exclamations (Quel beau jour!) Coming soon
B1 24 topics
  1. 59 The Present Conditional Coming soon
  2. 60 The Present Subjunctive: Formation Coming soon
  3. 61 Subjunctive After Will & Necessity (il faut que) Coming soon
  4. 62 Subjunctive After Emotion & Opinion Coming soon
  5. 63 The Pluperfect (plus-que-parfait) Coming soon
  6. 64 The Future Perfect (futur antérieur) Coming soon
  7. 65 The Past Conditional (conditionnel passé) Coming soon
  8. 66 Si Clauses (Conditional Sentences) Coming soon
  9. 67 Relative Pronouns: qui, que, où, dont Coming soon
  10. 68 Order of Double Object Pronouns Coming soon
  11. 69 The Gérondif (en + -ant) Coming soon
  12. 70 The Present Participle (-ant) Coming soon
  13. 71 Reported Speech (discours indirect) Coming soon
  14. 72 Irregular Comparatives (meilleur, pire, mieux) Coming soon
  15. 73 Demonstrative Pronouns (celui, celle, ceux) Coming soon
  16. 74 The Causative Faire (faire faire) Coming soon
  17. 75 Depuis Que & Time Conjunctions Coming soon
  18. 76 Être en Train de / Sur le Point de Coming soon
  19. 77 Varied Negations (ne...jamais/rien/personne/plus) Coming soon
  20. 78 Y and En with Verbs (penser à / parler de) Coming soon
  21. 79 The Past Infinitive (après avoir fait) Coming soon
  22. 80 Tout: Adjective, Pronoun and Adverb Coming soon
  23. 81 Types of Pronominal Verbs (reflexive, reciprocal, idiomatic) Coming soon
  24. 82 Expressing Opinion (à mon avis, trouver que) Coming soon
B2 20 topics
  1. 83 The Past Subjunctive (subjonctif passé) Coming soon
  2. 84 Subjunctive After Conjunctions (bien que, pour que) Coming soon
  3. 85 Subjunctive vs Indicative (penser que, espérer) Coming soon
  4. 86 Sequence of Tenses (concordance des temps) Coming soon
  5. 87 The Passé Simple (Recognition) Coming soon
  6. 88 The Passive Voice (voix passive) Coming soon
  7. 89 Reported Speech in the Past Coming soon
  8. 90 Compound Relatives (lequel, auquel, duquel) Coming soon
  9. 91 Past Participle Agreement with Avoir Coming soon
  10. 92 Participle Agreement: Pronominal Verbs Coming soon
  11. 93 Expressing Opposition & Concession (bien que, malgré) Coming soon
  12. 94 Expressing Cause (parce que, puisque, comme, car) Coming soon
  13. 95 Expressing Consequence (donc, si bien que, tellement) Coming soon
  14. 96 Expressing Purpose (pour que, afin de, de peur que) Coming soon
  15. 97 Highlighting: C'est...qui / C'est...que Coming soon
  16. 98 Indefinite Adjectives (tout, chaque, quelques) Coming soon
  17. 99 Indefinite Pronouns (quelqu'un, chacun, certains) Coming soon
  18. 100 Verbs + Preposition + Noun (penser à, dépendre de) Coming soon
  19. 101 Verbs of Perception + Infinitive (je le vois arriver) Coming soon
  20. 102 When to Omit the Article Coming soon
C1 14 topics
  1. 103 The Imperfect Subjunctive (Literary) Coming soon
  2. 104 The Passé Antérieur (Literary) Coming soon
  3. 105 Sequence of Tenses with the Subjunctive Coming soon
  4. 106 The Expletive Ne (ne explétif) Coming soon
  5. 107 Restriction & Only (ne...que, ne faire que) Coming soon
  6. 108 Stylistic & Interrogative Inversion Coming soon
  7. 109 Advanced Logical Connectors (néanmoins, en revanche) Coming soon
  8. 110 Nominalisation (Formal/Press Style) Coming soon
  9. 111 Advanced Hypothesis (au cas où, à moins que) Coming soon
  10. 112 The Pronominal Passive (se + verb) Coming soon
  11. 113 Subjunctive in Relative Clauses (le seul qui...) Coming soon
  12. 114 Absolute & Participial Constructions (Le travail terminé) Coming soon
  13. 115 Registers: Soutenu, Courant, Familier Coming soon
  14. 116 Proportional & Advanced Comparison (plus...plus) Coming soon