The verb avere was probably one of the first verbs you came across in Italian. Of course, its basic meaning is “to have”, but there are many useful everyday expressions that use avere in which the verb doesn’t translate as “to have”.
The Coffee Break Italian Show is a podcast series of bite-sized, friendly conversations in which we demystify tricky Italian language topics. In the latest Italian episode, Mark and Maurizio discuss the verb avere and many useful expressions featuring this verb.
Continue reading to find out more, and why not listen to the podcast as you go?
A review of the verb ‘avere’
First of all, let’s take a second to review the conjugation of avere in the present tense:
avere – present tense:
ho
hai
ha
abbiamo
avete
hanno
As you can see, it’s an irregular verb, but it is also one of the most useful verbs to understand in Italian.
Let’s examine how we use avere, when it doesn’t mean “to have”.
‘Avere’ expressions where “to be” is used in English
As mentioned above, there are some Italian expressions using avere that take the verb “to be” when translated into English. Let’s take a look at these one by one, or in logical pairs.
Age
avere _ anni
to be _ years old
For example:
Ho quarantatré anni.
I’m forty-three years old.
Quanti anni hai?
How old are you?
To be cold or hot
avere freddo
to be cold
avere caldo
to be warm / hot
For example:
Martino ha freddo mentre Arianna ha caldo.
Martino is (feeling) cold while Arianna is (feeling) hot.
To be thirsty or hungry
avere sete
to be thirsty
avere fame
to be hungry
For example:
Hai sete?
Are you thirsty?
Ho sempre fame!
I’m always hungry!
To be sleepy
avere sonno
to be sleepy
For example:
Hai sonno?
Are you sleepy?
Sono stanco e ho sonno.
I’m tired and I’m (feeling) sleepy.
As a side note, Maurizio and Mark also mention the very Italian expression avere l’abbiocco, which means “to be sleepy from eating too much” and describes the feeling of tiredness after having a hearty meal like, for example, a delicious Sunday lunch with your Italian family!
To be patient
avere pazienza
to be patient
For example:
Bisogna avere pazienza con i bambini.
You need to be patient with children.
To be right or wrong
avere ragione
to be right
avere torto
to be wrong
For example:
Paola ha ragione, ma Maurizio ha torto.
Paola is right, but Maurizio is wrong.
To be in a hurry
avere fretta
to be in a hurry
For example:
Non ho fretta, possiamo prendere un caffè e parlare.
I’m not in a hurry, we can have a coffee and have a chat.
To be scared
avere paura (di)
to be scared (of)
For example:
Avevo paura del buio quando ero un bambino / da bambino.
I used to be scared of the dark when I was a child / as a child.
To need
There are also other expressions with avere that are translated using neither “to be” nor “to have” in English. The first of these is:
avere bisogno di
to need
For example:
Ho bisogno di quel libro.
I need that book.
Ho bisogno di una mano.
I need a hand / help.
To want or feel like something
Finally, let’s look at:
avere voglia di
to feel like, to want
For example:
Ho voglia di andare in discoteca.
I feel like going to a nightclub.
Ho sempre voglia di un gelato.
I’m always craving an ice cream.
È tutto per oggi
These expressions with avere will come in useful in many everyday Italian conversations, so keep up your practice and listen out for them.
If you found this interesting, make sure you listen to the full podcast episode with Mark and Maurizio on The Coffee Break Italian Show. We will regularly be uploading more episodes for Italian learners, so make sure to subscribe to our podcast feed or our channel on YouTube.
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