When do I use avoir as an auxiliary?

Avoir is the auxiliary for most verbs in passé composé, except for reflexive verbs and a small set of movement verbs that use être.

How do you conjugate avoir in the French imparfait tense?

avoir (to have) is conjugated in the French imparfait tense by changing the ending for each pronoun. The full table above shows every form with audio so you can hear the correct pronunciation.

What does avoir mean in English?

avoir translates to "to have" in English. The exact nuance can change with context — practising example sentences inside SPEAKZY is the fastest way to internalise it.

When do you use the Imparfait tense in French?

The Imparfait tense in French is used to describe actions or states tied to a specific time frame. Use the example sentences above as templates for your own speech.

Is avoir a regular or irregular French verb?

Many of the most common French verbs (like avoir) have irregular forms in at least one tense. Compare the conjugation pattern above against a regular verb to spot the differences.

avoir

A1irregular#2 most common

to have

Also: to own, to get

/avwaʁ/avoir

Meaning & usage

The other essential auxiliary. Used to express possession and as the auxiliary verb in most compound tenses.

Conjugation

Pronoun	avoir	Audio
je	ai
tu	as
il / elle / on	a
nous	avons
vous	avez
ils / elles	ont

avoir by tense

avoir present tense avoir passé composé tense avoir imparfait tense avoir future tense avoir conditional tense avoir present perfect tense avoir subjonctif présent tense

Example sentences

J'ai deux frères.
I have two brothers.
Tu as raison.
You are right.
Nous avons faim.
We are hungry.

Common expressions

avoir faim
to be hungry
avoir besoin de
to need
avoir l'air
to seem

Quick practice

Question 1 of 5Score: 0

Choose the correct form: vosotros ___ (Conditional)

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Frequently asked

When do I use avoir as an auxiliary?
Avoir is the auxiliary for most verbs in passé composé, except for reflexive verbs and a small set of movement verbs that use être.

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