Start using FluentU on the website with your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes store or Google Play store. This literally translates to ‘to have a little hollow spot’, which I think is a perfect way to describe this feeling. (I think I caught the flu! (J’ai du mal à ouvrir cette boite – tu peux m’aider? But if you want to imply “saying something to each other, saying something to oneself, saying something to themselves, etc.”, you would make this a reflexive verb and conjugate it with être instead. Literally translated, it means “to have hunger,” but in French it’s used as an equivalent of “to be hungry.”. All rights reserved. – avoir la pêche (to be happy/in a good mood; to feel great). Create better lessons quicker. – avoir de la chance (to be lucky). We hate SPAM and promise to keep your email address safe, Sign up for our weekly blog newsletter for a chance to win a free FluentU Plus subscription (value $240), Get regular language learning tips, resources and updates, starting with the "Complete Guide to Foreign Language Immersion" e-book. – avoir un balai dans le cul (to be uptight and/or snobby). All Rights Reserved. You’ll often see these used with the negative tense. Tu as du bol ! (Those shoes are too big – you look like a clown!). We also participate in other affiliate advertising programs for products and services we believe in. Tap on any word to see a definition, in-context usage examples, audio pronunciation, helpful images and more. Ex : Nous ne sommes pas fatigués – nous avons l’habitude de nous coucher tard. Most common of all, though, is simply using it as a standalone phrase: J’en ai marre! Should you use avoir or être to conjugate a verb? Maybe men should be careful with je suis chaud as well right? This expression should only be used in an informal setting, with friends, not at work, etc. (I bought you some cookies) – no agreement. For one thing, as you probably know already, avoir is the most common auxiliary (helping) verb in French. A1 | A2 | B1 | B2 | C1 Find your level. The only problem with this expression is, if you’re afraid of spiders like I am, you always take it literally and think that someone actually has a spider on their ceiling, your reaction might make people say, «Elle a une araignée au plafond ! She truly believes in self development and community engagement. This is often used as a euphemism, especially in crime shows/books/movies, where “some problems” are actually BIG problems. (You got 50% off your new sofa ? (I told myself that it wouldn’t be an easy day.). It’s fairly informal but understood and accepted by the general public. Lucky them! French idiomatic expressions using avoir take you on a tour of the human condition, from feeling blue to feeling great, having charm to having the giggles, being right to being wrong. « Fais-moi confiance, » le renard a dit au bonhomme de pain d’épices. 4.4 7 customer reviews. Can we put on the A.C. ?’ ‘No! Let’s start with one of the most common, avoir faim. Most of these expressions calque very easily onto your regular use of English, so they won’t be too hard to add to your vocabulary. But more recently, the slang expression Je suis chaud means, “I’m into it” or “I’m game.”. ), À Paris, les personnes âgées ont le droit de prendre le Métro gratuitement. Hi Tejas, the article has been updated and the very important “avoir besoin de” has been included! (We’re tired of always eating chicken – can’t we have fish tonight?). The agreement rules with avoir may seem a bit confusing – and to be perfectly honest, I still forget about them from time to time, even after years of speaking and living in France. (I’m having trouble opening this can – can you help me ?). The verb avoir is used in expressions of everyday life, it is also used as an auxiliary in other times. Learn and practice French idiomatic expression with the verb to have (Expressions avec Avoir). (In Paris, senior citizens are allowed free Metro tickets. ». Probably because they’re so fun to say and use! – avoir du caractère (to have a strong personality). The verb avoir is used in expressions of everyday life, it is also used as an auxiliary in other times. Avoir is used in the impersonal expression il y a, which means either 'there is' or 'there are.' This can apply to something you consistently have trouble with (Quand quelqu’un me propose du chocolat, j’ai du mal à dire non! 5 expressions pour parler comme un français, Gerard Lenorman-ZAZ – La ballade des gens heureux. If something is hot or cold to the touch, you would use être. For example: J’ai cinq pommes (I have five apples) vs. J’ai mangé cinq pommes (I ate five apples). (I need a new bike)/Son chien a besoin de courir. It’s also a key element of a number of very important phrases that cover basics like how old you are, what you need, and your state of physical health, not to mention what’s around you. But it has so much more than that going for it! Example 2: Ces chaussures sont trop grandes – tu as l’air d’un clown ! real-world content like music videos, commercials, news broadcasts, cartoons and inspiring talks, 12 Classic French Movies from Different Eras, All Available to Watch Online, 10 Awesome French Podcasts For French Learners, 9 Great Channels to Learn French on YouTube, 10 Tasty Tips for Teaching Yourself French, 7 Awesome Songs to Help You Learn French Through Music, 15 French Idioms You Should Know But Don’t, 15 French Slang Words Every French Learner Should Know. Maya is the CEO and one of the teachers at French Circles Club. Edit Content. (I’m always afraid of missing my train, even if I get to the train station really early. And as you practice and get to know French better, deciding when or if you need to make a verb reflexive will become, well, a reflex. Using avoir as an auxiliary verb should be easy, compared to using its fellow auxiliary verb, être. This was probably one of the first statements you learned to say in French. I was so hungry!” “No problem. Do you want some water?” “No thanks, I’m not thirsty.”), – avoir froid/chaud (to feel cold/to feel hot). (to have an ache/pain (in the head, stomach, etc.). J’ai une faim de loup ! – avoir des oursins dans la poche (to be cheap – literally : to have sea urchins in one’s pocket). (Like many people, I’m scared of spiders. – avoir des couilles (to have balls). Free. Learn these and dozens of other French expressions featuring avoir. Instead of saying “to be” with an adjective, the way we do in English, the French will use avoir with a noun to express the same idea. J’ai mal à la tête, mal au ventre…mal partout ! Read about our approach to external linking. Ils ont de la chance ! Our team of exam survivors will get you started and keep you going. (You’re not allowed to do that!). You’re lucky/Lucky you!). This English sentence isn’t necessarily something you’d likely find yourself uttering, but the French version is fairly common. Author: Created by suzyhearn. – avoir hâte de (can’t wait to…). Just saying J’ai mal means that you’re in general pain, but you can also say J’ai mal à la tête, for example, to say you have a headache, or J’ai mal au ventre to say that your stomach hurts. – avoir de la gueule (to look cool). Here are some of the avoir expressions that I hear the most (along with those from the previous list, of course) here in Paris. Embed. Or: Ce matin, j’ai vu deux chats dans le jardin. ), – avoir du bol (to be lucky). This expression can describe everyone from a fidgety toddler (or, why not, adult? The following expressions are all put together by choosing the correct subject pronoun and tense you require with faire. – avoir le cafard (to have the blues, to be feeling down). In other words, to be dreamy or absentminded. or something you’re currently struggling with. J’avais très faim ! The potatoes are too hot, let them cool off.). – avoir envie de (to want). Examples: Tu vas réussir ton examen ! It seems to me like they’re somewhat upbeat – they’re survivors and they’ve got hustle. ), – avoir du mal à (to have a hard time doing something). Share Share by Snelgrove. Avoir is the French verb that means “to have”. – avoir peur (de) (to be afraid (of)). Example: Tu as gagné un t-shirt ? On met la clim’ ? : – en avoir marre de (to be sick and tired of/fed up with). Let us know – especially if it’s not already on the list! You can find a conjugation chart here. (You’re going to do great on your exam ! Tu as la pêche ce matin ! J’ai confiance en toi, for example, is a common way of building up your friends, kind of the way we say, “I know you can do it!”, J’ai honte, meanwhile, is commonly used where in English we’d say, “I’m so embarrassed!”, As for J’ai horreur, it’s often used instead of Je hais or Je déteste to describe something you don’t like. For example : « Donne-nous le fric ou tu vas avoir des ennuis. We always go to bed late. (I read a fascinating story.) Don’t get confused : although the verb avoir is conjugated in this phrase, it never changes to agree with what comes after. J’ai envie de toi (I want you) is a phrase you’ll hear in a lot of French movies/TV shows, and maybe in real life, too! ), – avoir _ ans (to be _ years old). Expressions francaises avec le verbe AVOIR - French expressions with TO HAVE - Level 2 - YouTube. Example: Martine a la bougeotte. (The store doesn’t give cash for returned items, but I can give you store credit.). You can use this with a noun or with the infinitive of a verb. CCubeAcademy 6,898 views. . ), – avoir besoin de (to need something). Since this content is material that native French speakers actually watch regularly, you’ll get the opportunity to learn real French the way it’s spoken in modern life. ), – avoir honte de (to be ashamed of or embarrassed by something/someone ). You missed “avoir Besoin de” , it’s very common ! Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Theme. This way of expressing concepts mirrors the English use of “to be.”. Interactive captions guide you along the way, so you never miss a word. Again, instead of using “to be scared” or “to be ashamed,” in French, you’ll be using avoir. Okay, I don’t actually hear this a lot in Paris, but every time I come across it, it makes me laugh. – avoir des ennuis (to have some problems). And once you’ve mastered the basics, there’s still plenty of territory to explore where avoir is concerned! As I wrote in the introduction, avoir is also important because it makes up many essential French phrases. (There are a lot of ants on the table!). Like many frequently used verbs, it’s irregular, which means you’ll have to memorize it. ), – avoir le béguin pour (to have a crush on). Help know that what could block us is that it is written in one way and pronounced in another. Even when she’s just gotten back from one trip, she’s already planning another. After all, you don’t have to agree objects and participles when you use it, right? Here are some great slang expressions to get you using avoir expressions even more often in your daily French conversation. You can check out our article on être for the list of verbs (often identified by the acronym Dr. Mrs. P. Vandertramp) that use être as an auxiliary verb. As the example shows, the imperative usually involves expressions with avoir, rather than its standalone meaning of “to have”. Thanks, it really helped me. Includes a powerpoint listing expressions with avoir, with a vocab list at the end. Si on la met, j’aurai trop froid.» (‘Oh, I’m hot! Avoir envie (de) — to have want of (to want) Avoir besoin (de) — to have need of (to need) Avoir xx ans — to have xx years (to be xx years old) Avoir à xx — to have to xx Avoir l’air de — to have the air of (to seem) Avoir l’intention de — to have the intention to Avoir l’habitude de — to have the habit of. You’re lucky!). (She bought it.) This phrase is a bit older and more mainstream than avoir la banane but it’s still somewhat informal and shouldn’t be used in formal or academic writing. Écoute ! – avoir droit/avoir le droit à/de (to be entitled to/to be allowed to). French idiomatic expressions using avoir take you on a tour of the human condition, from feeling blue to feeling great, having charm to having the giggles, being right to being wrong. 1. À l’aide de l’exercice 1, complétez les phrases avec l’expression appropriée. ), – avoir deux mains gauches (to be clumsy). For teaching a lesson on les expressions avoir. FluentU lets you learn French from real-world content like music videos, commercials, news broadcasts, cartoons and inspiring talks. The following expressions are all put together by choosing the correct subject pronoun and tense you require with avoir. You use à before a noun and de before a verb, as you can see in the previous examples, or here: À Paris, les personnes âgées ont droit à des billets de Métro gratuits. But it has so much more than that going for it! Once you’ve mastered the first two groups of avoir expressions, you might be on the lookout for some other ones to add. But I guess you’ve implied its usage in an example for “avoir l’habitude de”. So, it’s fine in most contexts but should probably be avoided if you’re writing a very formal letter or academic paper. Example: Il a honte de ses dents. Be careful to never say that a person is hot or cold. It’s often used in a formal register, including in professional correspondence. » «Non ! Je les ai achetés pour toi . Avoir l’airAvoir chaudAvoir envieAvoir faimAvoir froidAvoir malAvoir peurAvoir soifAvoir sommeil, To appearTo be hotTo feel likeTo be hungryTo be coldTo hurt/be in painTo be afraidTo be thirstyTo be sleepy, Avoir honteAvoir raisonAvoir tortavoir l’occasion deavoir lieuavoir besoin deAvoir mal àAvoir du mal à, To be ashamedTo be rightTo be wrongto have the occasionto take placeto need tohaving troublehave difficulty in. Avoir can also be a noun. This expression is common and also wonderful because it literally translates to “have the cockroach.” Then again, are cockroaches really depressed animals? There are countless phrases with avoir, many of them essential to add to your French vocabulary. Please check your email for further instructions. Or: Je t’ai acheté des gâteaux. Expressions avec Avoir. ), – avoir mal (à la tête, au ventre, etc.) Thanks. For example: Tu n’as pas le droit de faire ça ! Avoir Conjugation Learn with flashcards, games, and more — for free. If you want to say that a person feels hot or cold to the touch, you can either specify where: Son front est chaud, il a peut-être de la fièvre. The verb avoir is not a very difficult verb. There are many expressions with avoir to say someone is lucky, but this is the most common, standard one. » (Give us the cash or you’re going to have some problems. Here are a few of the many expressions that use avoir. I’ve heard that this expression comes from the fact that a banana looks like a smile. Here they are with their literal translations followed by their true translations: Avoir faim — to have hunger (to be hungry) Avoir soif — to have thirst (to be thirsty) Avoir sommeil — to have sleepiness (to be sleepy) Avoir de la chance — to have luck (to be lucky) Avoir chaud — to have heat (to be hot) Avoir froid — to have cold (to be cold) Avoir mal — to have pain (to be in pain) Avoir tort — to have wrong (to be wrong) Avoir raison — to have right (to be right) Avoir du retard — to have lateness (to be late). Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc, or its affiliates. ), – avoir l’air/avoir l’air de (to seem/to look like). (There are the two cats I saw in the garden!). Un avoir usually means a receipt that shows you have store credit. Sign in, choose your GCSE subjects and see content that's tailored for you. Avoir expressions are very often used to express different feelings. (He looks sick/He looks like a man bound for the scaffold.) It’s especially important to practice it because the usage can be tough for a native English speaker to wrap their head around: Sometimes, where in English we use “to be,” the French use avoir! For example, Tu as eu 50% de réduction sur ton nouveau canapé ? Example: Il y aura pas mal de monde à la fête ce soir. Example : Si tu me dis que les chats sont plus adorables que les chiens, je dirai que tu as raison, mais ce chien dira que tu as tort ! With this list of avoir expressions, you’re well on your way to mastering them all! She has taught English and French for more than ten years, most notably as an assistante de langue vivante for L'Education Nationale. As you continue advancing in your French studies, FluentU keeps track of all the grammar and vocabulary that you’ve been learning. In this group, there are other examples where the French expression is more common than the English equivalent. Why is it that, no matter how much we learn in a foreign language, one of the things we always want to learn are slang expressions? Created: Apr 14, 2015. It’s hard to translate the expression “can’t wait” into French because the structures in French and English are so different. (‘Trust me’, the fox said to the gingerbread man. For example, saying J’ai envie d’un café (I want a coffee) is more common than saying Je veux un café, and saying Tu sembles être is a bit clunkier than saying T’as l’air de (You seem). It’s used to conjugate most other French verbs in the passé composé and other compound tenses. Let’s take a look at this surprisingly diverse verb! You replace a direct object by an object pronoun. If you’re looking to stock up on the basics, the verb avoir (to have) is, well…a must-have for your French language shopping list. As you also may have guessed, it’s a vulgar term that you shouldn’t use in professional situations, around children, or with anyone who has un balai dans le cul. avoir faim, avoir sommeil, avoir froid, avoir soif, avoir chaud, avoir besoin de/d', avoir de la chance, avoir ... ans, avoir envie de/d', avoir raison. Lucky them! The following expressions are all put together by choosing the correct subject pronoun and tense you require with être. Avoir is the second most common French verb. J’avais les yeux plus gros que le ventre. Useful expressions with avoir, être and faire, The following expressions are all put together by choosing the correct subject pronoun and tense you require with, For many verbs, the translation is ‘to be…’ BUT they do not go with, Key verbs - auxiliaries, avoir and être, and modal verbs, Impersonal verbs and expressions - il faut, il y a, Home Economics: Food and Nutrition (CCEA). That would be more than enough for most verbs, but avoir’s got to have it all! Expressions avec Avoir. GREAT POST … will save it for a handout for my (AP) advanced French classes!!! (His dog needs to run.). As you may have guessed, it’s the equivalent of “to have a stick up your ass” in English. Like. Example : Elle a de la gueule, ta chemise (Your shirt is pretty damn cool). An expression is a peculiar sentence to a language and can not be translated literally into another language.The following expressions, used with the verb avoir, often use another verb in the English version.Look out and enjoy! This usually means temporarily lucky. There are countless expressions with avoir. Expressions françaises avec le verbe AVOIR. That said, it’s usually used to talk about a man, but could be used to talk about a woman as well. Voici les deux chats que j’ai vus dans le jardin ! For example: Jean en a marre d’attendre Jeanne. Les patates sont chaudes, laisse-les refroidir. Rest assured, this doesn’t happen a lot. Both avoir and être can be auxiliary (helping) verbs, used in conjugating other verbs in compound tenses. (They’re afraid./They’re scared.) The French verb avoir, “to have,” is found in many essential and idiomatic expressions, including to want, to loathe, and to take place. Example: Dis donc ! I say ‘countless” because, since many of these involve new words and slang, they can evolve or appear at any time. For example, J’ai horreur des jours pluvieux ! Have everything you need to start speaking French like a pro? This expression literally translates to “to have the balls” (that is, balls you play sports with, not the same kind as couilles!). But things get a bit tricky again here: some verbs that are usually not reflexive, can become reflexive depending on the context. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, another one in Education and a Master in Business Administration. For example, if you tap on the word “suit,” then this is what appears on your screen: Don’t stop there, though. (I want some chocolate. For example, a school might send a letter to parents describing meals they’re serving and say something like: Pour le goûter, chaque enfant a droit à un gateau. In English, we say “to have two left feet.”. (For snack time/tea, each child is entitled to one cookie.). Look out and enjoy! The same holds true for avoir l’habitude de. The trick here is getting into the habit of using them instead of using direct English translations for the concepts you’re trying to express. Avoir peur de — to have fear of (to be scared of) Avoir confiance en — to have trust or faith in (to believe in) Avoir honte — to have shame (to be ashamed) Avoir horreur de — to have horror of (to hate), Some of these expressions are fairly easy to calque onto your English, for example, avoir peur de. FluentU brings French to life with real-world videos. This very helpful article includes a good explanation of these rules, as well as a number of examples. (Jean is tired of waiting for Jeanne. The best thing to do is to keep practicing and try to stay aware of these exceptions. J’en ai confiance ! On the other end of the hunger spectrum, there’s this expression, which literally translates to “to have a wolfish hunger.” Or, if you want the Duran Duran song in your head, you could say, “to be hungry like a wolf.” It’s the equivalent of the English expression “to be as hungry as a horse.” Example: Il y a quelque chose à manger ? (There will be a lot of people at the party tonight. (Watch out! To find more expressions with avoir in the wild, see these in use and so much more, check out FluentU. Switch template Interactives Show all. )/Comme beaucoup de gens, j’ai peur des araignées. List of Top 10 French AVOIR (to have) Expressions - French Lesson - Duration: 3:00. (Wow ! (Martine has wanderlust. (He’ll never, ever buy you a nice ring; he’s cheap as hell!). avoir l’air fin (informal) to look like an idiot / a fool: avoir la flemme de + infinitive : to not feel like doing: avoir la frite (informal) to feel great: avoir la gueule de bois : to have a hangover, to be hungover: avoir la patate (informal) to feel great: avoir la pêche (informal) to feel peachy: avoir le bac : to pass the bac: avoir le cafard (informal) Je suis libre ce soir, je peux te voir : j’ai le temps. – avoir faim/avoir soif (to be hungry/to be thirsty). You follow each of these phrases with either à or de. An expression is a peculiar sentence to a language and can not be translated literally into another language. ... Les Expressions avec AVOIR - Matching. She delivers with passion her classes, and motivates students to achieve their goals. Even if I’m 3 years late (after you posted it)… Either way thanks a lot this really helped me with my exam. As you’ve probably noticed already in your French learning, many expressions are formed by using avoir paired with another word, often a noun. ), – avoir confiance/avoir confiance en (to trust/to have faith in). I hope you’ve had a good time learning about the different facets of avoir. would mean “I really hate rainy days!”. An expression is a peculiar sentence to a language and can not be translated literally into another language. These expressions aren’t necessarily vulgar, but they’re definitely slang. The Many French Idiomatic Expressions With 'Avoir' ('to Have'), Don't Make This Mistake in French: 'Je Suis 25 Ans', Conjugating the Major Verbs of French: Avoir, Être, and Faire, 6 Idioms Using the Word for 'Dog' in French, How to Use the Expression "Coup de Foudre", vendre la peau de l'ours (avant de l'avoir tué). You can use this as a standalone statement: Ils ont peur. Look out and enjoy! ❣️❣️❣️. (There’s an ant on the table.) Learn and practice French idiomatic expression with the verb to have (Expressions avec Avoir). (You won a t-shirt ? Another definition for avoir is “asset”, but this is not very commonly used in everyday language in France. Examples: Il y a une fourmi sur la table. to count one’s chickens (before they’re hatched), to have a certain something, be attractive, to have a lot to do, have a lot on one’s plate, to have a headache, eye ache, stomachache, to have someone in the palm of one’s hand, to have a memory loss, to have one’s mind go blank, to be attractive, have a certain something, to be unable to think of witty comebacks in time. Example: «Merci pour le sandwich ! ), Je me suis dit que cela ne serait pas une journée facile. When avoir is an auxiliary verb, you have to agree the object and the past participle if…. This way of expressing concepts mirrors the English use of “to be.” Instead of saying “to be” with an adjective, the way we do in English, the French will use avoir with a noun to express the same idea. (I’m fed up!). Note that, like in English, this phrase can also be used to talk about sexual desire. © 2020 Enux Education Limited. Il fait souvent et facilement ce travail : il a l’habitude. Let’s get things started with the classics. 2. ); Nous en avons marre de toujours manger du poulet – on ne peut pas avoir du poisson ce soir? Brief translation activity then an explanation of the various activities students can do with the flashcards (attached word document). If the air around you feels hot or cold, use faire, as you would to describe most weather- or atmosphere-related phenomenon in French. For example: J’ai lu une histoire fascinante. – agreement because la robe has been replaced by the object pronoun (la, used here as l’ because it’s followed by a noun). The best way to understand the concept, however, is to get into some concrete examples. Find out how to use key verbs for different tenses. For example: J’ai l’intention de planifier un week-end surprise pour mon ami. J’ai peur. – no agreement. This can be a good or bad thing, although it usually implies that the person in question is a bit difficult. This phrase is a bit formal and is often seen or heard when rules are being spelled out. )/J’ai envie de me reposer. There are a number of French expressions in which avoir is equivalent to "to be": This free website is created with love and a great deal of work. As an auxiliary (helping) verb, it’s essentially an indicator of a verb tense and doesn’t suggest possession. For one thing, as you probably know already, avoir is the most common auxiliary (helping) verb in French.