How to Conjugate Avoir

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Say "j'ai" to mean "I have."

   In the first person present tense, the verb avoir takes the form "ai" (pronounced ay).
   
   Since it starts with a vowel, glide between the pronoun je and the verb – don't say them separately, but treat them as one word.In French, the verb avoir is used when telling people your age.
   
   The literal translation would be that you "have" a certain number of years.
   
   For example, if you say "J'ai 22 ans," it means "I am 22 years old" – even though you literally said "I have 22 years."
2. 2

   Step 2: Use "tu as" when you want to say "you have."

   In any situation where you would use the informal second-person pronoun "tu," conjugate "avoir" as "as." Pronounce as "ah," keeping the "s" silent unless it comes before a word that starts with a vowel., If you want to say someone or something has something, you would say either "il a" (he has) or "elle a" (she has).
   
   Remember that objects have a gender in French.This conjugation is used in a common French idiom, "il y a," which means "there is" or "there are" (the idiom doesn't change for plural objects).
   
   For example, you might say "il y a plein de poisson" or "there are plenty of fish."
   
   If you're speaking about you and someone else using first-person plural, conjugate avoir as "avons" (AH-vohns).
   
   Slur the pronoun and verb together as you say them, with a strong Z sound in between, like "Noo ZAH-vohns."
   
   The French pronoun "vous" can be thought of as second-person plural, when you are addressing a group of people, and also as a more formal way to address a single person.Translate "vous avez" either as "you all have" or "you have," depending on the context.
   
   When speaking, slur the pronoun and verb together with a pronounced Z sound: "Voo ZAH-vay."
   
   When you are talking about a group of people or objects, you want the third-person plural conjugation of avoir.
   
   When referring to a mixed-gender group, always use the masculine pronoun ils.Pronounce these with the same Z sound you used when saying "vous avez." Be careful that your Z sound doesn't sound too much like an S sound here.
   
   Otherwise "ils ont" (they have) can sound more like "ils sont" (they are), which will lead to confusion. , There are a number of idioms and verb phrases that you'll find you use fairly frequently in conversational French.
   
   For example, if you wanted to tell someone you were hungry, you might say "j'ai faim." This phrase is translated in English to "I am hungry," although a literal translation would be "I have hunger."You also could say "j'ai soif" (I'm thirsty/I have thirst) or "j'ai chaud" (I'm hot/I have heat). , The words "want" and "need" are not separate verbs in French as they are in English.
   
   Rather, you use a verb phrase including the correctly conjugated form of the verb "avoir."For example, if you either need or want chocolate, you would either say "j'ai besoin de chocolat" (I need chocolate, or literally "I have a need of chocolate") or "j'ai envie de chocolat" (I want chocolate, literally "I have a want of chocolate").
3. 3

   Step 3: Conjugate avoir as "a" (pronounced "ah") in third person.

4. 4

   Step 4: Say "nous avons" to mean "we have."

5. 5

   Step 5: Conjugate avoir as avez (pronounced AH-vay) when using the pronoun "vous."

6. 6

   Step 6: Use "ils ont" or "elles ont" to say "they have."

7. 7

   Step 7: Learn French idioms that use the verb "avoir."

8. 8

   Step 8: Use avoir to say you need or want something.

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