Which French expressions do you know that use the verb avoir? There are many to choose from! While avoir translates into English as “to have”, its use goes beyond possession and ownership, extending to sensations, emotions and age.
The Coffee Break French Show is a podcast series of bite-sized, friendly conversations in which we demystify tricky French language topics. In the latest episode, Mark and Max chat about the verb avoir and look at some common expressions in which avoir is used differently from “to have” in English.
French’s linguistic quirks make it fascinating and, at times, tricky for learners, so using avoir correctly is an important learning point.
Continue reading to find out more and why not listen to the podcast as you go?
Common expressions that use ‘avoir’
Let’s look at how avoir can be combined with various nouns to take on a variety of meanings that may not necessarily relate to possession or ownership.
Age
avoir _ ans
to be _ years old
In French, your age is something you “have”. For example:
J’ai 30 ans.
I am 30 years old.
To be hungry or thirsty
avoir faim
to be hungry
avoir soif
to be thirsty
When you’re hungry or thirsty, in French this is expressed as “having” the feeling of “hunger” or “thirst”. For example:
J’ai faim.
I am hungry.
J’ai soif.
I am thirsty.
To be hot or cold
avoir chaud
to be hot
avoir froid
to be cold
French speakers also use avoir to express temperature sensations. For example:
J’ai chaud.
I am hot.
J’ai froid.
I am cold.
To be right or wrong
avoir raison
to be right
avoir tort
to be wrong
In French, you don’t say that “you are right or wrong”. Instead, “you have reason or wrong”. Here’s an example:
Je pense qu’il a raison.
I think he is right.
To be scared
avoir peur de
to be afraid of, to be scared of
When it comes to fear, we also express this using avoir in French. Let’s look at an example:
J’ai peur des araignées.
I am afraid of spiders.
To be sleepy
avoir sommeil
to be sleepy
When you’re feeling sleepy, you don’t say that “you are sleepy” in French, rather, “you have sleepiness”.
J’ai sommeil ce soir.
I’m sleepy tonight.
To need something
avoir besoin de
to need
To express that you need something in French, we literally say that “you have need of” whatever it is. For example:
J’ai besoin de deux kilos de pommes.
I need two kilograms of apples.
To want or feel like something
avoir envie de
to want, to feel like
We can also express a desire or craving for something using an avoir expression in French. Note that avoir envie de can be followed either by a verb (in the infinitive form) or a noun. Here’s an example:
Tu as envie de manger une tarte aux pommes ?
Do you feel like eating an apple pie?
A little challenge
Let’s see if you can remember some of these expressions we’ve talked about. Here are three sentences for you to translate into French, using avoir expressions:
- My mother is always right.
- I needed five more minutes.
- It’s 3 am and I am not sleepy.
Once you have your answers, scroll down to the bottom of the page to see how you got on.
In conclusion
As we’ve seen, the use of avoir in French very often cannot be translated into English as “to have”. Combined with different nouns, its meaning can range from sensations, to emotions and even age.
While these nuances may initially leave learners a little perplexed, don’t worry, you’ll get used to them. Ultimately, they add depth and character to the language, so the next time you encounter avoir, enjoy the thought that this little word can be used for expressing such a wide range of human experiences!
If you found this post interesting, make sure to listen to the full episode with Mark and Max on The Coffee Break French Show. This is the series in which we look at a range of topics for French learners, so make sure to subscribe to our podcast feed and our channel on YouTube.
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Happy Coffee Breaking!
PS. Here are the answers to the challenge:
- My mother is always right. Ma mère a toujours raison.
- I needed five more minutes. J’avais besoin de cinq minutes de plus.
- It’s 3 am and I am not sleepy. Il est trois heures du matin et je n’ai pas sommeil.
