Avoir Verb Conjugation: Every Tense With Translations & Real Examples

If avoir verb conjugation overwhelms you because one verb does too many jobs—owning, feeling, aging, and forming past tenses—have you realized how unavoidable it is in French? Avoir sits at the center of the language. This guide explains each tense step by step with natural, everyday examples.

Etre Conjugation – Useful Tenses With Translations & Real Examples

Let’s start with what makes avoir essential.

What You Need To Know Before Conjugating Avoir

Avoir means to have, but it also expresses age, physical states, emotions, obligations, and many fixed expressions. In addition, avoir is the most common auxiliary verb in French, used to form compound tenses for the majority of verbs. Mastering avoir unlocks past tense conjugation across the language.

Indicative Mood

The indicative mood is used to express facts, possession, states, and real situations.

Present Tense (Présent)

The present tense of avoir is used to talk about possession, age, feelings, physical conditions, and immediate states. In English, it usually translates as “have” or “has.”

Subject	Conjugation	English Translation
Je	ai	I have
Tu	as	you have
Il / Elle / On	a	he / she has
Nous	avons	we have
Vous	avez	you have
Ils / Elles	ont	they have

Examples:

• J’ai deux frères. → I have two brothers.
• Elle a faim. → She is hungry.
• Nous avons raison. → We are right.

To describe possession or states in the past over time, French uses the imperfect.

Why French Uses Avoir Instead Of Être In These Sentences

Let’s break down the most common examples carefully.

J’ai deux frères. → I have two brothers.

This is a straightforward possession structure. French uses avoir exactly as English uses “have” when talking about ownership or relationships. There is no alternative structure here. Être is never used for possession in French.

Elle a faim. → She is hungry.

This is where English and French diverge.
In French, faim (hunger) is treated as a noun, not an adjective. You are not “being hungry”; you are having hunger.

That’s why:

• Elle a faim is correct
• Elle est faim is grammatically impossible

The same structure applies to:

• avoir soif → to be thirsty
• avoir froid → to be cold
• avoir peur → to be afraid

French consistently uses avoir to express physical sensations.

Nous avons raison. → We are right.

Again, French treats raison (reason/rightness) as something you have, not something you are. Saying nous sommes raison would be incorrect because raison is not an adjective in this context.

Imperfect Tense (Imparfait)

The imperfect tense is used to describe ongoing possession, repeated states, or background conditions in the past. In English, it often translates as “had” or “used to have.”

Subject	Conjugation	English Translation
Je	avais	I had / used to have
Tu	avais	you had
Il / Elle / On	avait	he / she had
Nous	avions	we had
Vous	aviez	you had
Ils / Elles	avaient	they had

Examples:

• J’avais peur. → I was afraid.
• Elle avait vingt ans. → She was twenty years old.
• Ils avaient le temps. → They had time.

To express a completed possession or state, French uses the passé composé.

Passé Composé

The passé composé of avoir expresses a completed state or possession in the past. It uses avoir as its own auxiliary.

Subject	Conjugation	English Translation
Je	ai eu	I had
Tu	as eu	you had
Il / Elle / On	a eu	he / she had
Nous	avons eu	we had
Vous	avez eu	you had
Ils / Elles	ont eu	they had

Examples:

• J’ai eu froid. → I was cold.
• Elle a eu raison. → She was right.
• Nous avons eu un problème. → We had a problem.

To describe a state that existed before another past event, French uses another tense.

Plus-Que-Parfait

The plus-que-parfait describes a state or possession that had already existed before another past action.

Subject	Conjugation	English Translation
Je	avais eu	I had had
Tu	avais eu	you had had
Il / Elle / On	avait eu	he / she had had
Nous	avions eu	we had had
Vous	aviez eu	you had had
Ils / Elles	avaient eu	they had had

Examples:

• J’avais eu peur avant. → I had been afraid before.
• Elle avait eu le temps. → She had had time.
• Nous avions eu des doutes. → We had had doubts.

Some tenses are mainly used in written French.

Passé Simple (Rare – Literary)

The passé simple of avoir appears mainly in literature.

Subject	Conjugation	English Translation
Je	eus	I had
Tu	eus	you had
Il / Elle / On	eut	he / she had
Nous	eûmes	we had
Vous	eûtes	you had
Ils / Elles	eurent	they had

Examples:

• Il eut peur. → He was afraid.
• Elle eut une idée. → She had an idea.
• Ils eurent raison. → They were right.

French also uses the future tense frequently with avoir.

Simple Future (Futur Simple)

The future tense describes possession or states that will exist later.

Subject	Conjugation	English Translation
Je	aurai	I will have
Tu	auras	you will have
Il / Elle / On	aura	he / she will have
Nous	aurons	we will have
Vous	aurez	you will have
Ils / Elles	auront	they will have

Examples:

• J’aurai le temps. → I will have time.
• Elle aura faim plus tard. → She will be hungry later.
• Nous aurons besoin d’aide. → We will need help.

Subjunctive Mood

The subjunctive is used to express necessity, emotion, doubt, or judgment involving possession or states.

Present Subjunctive

In English, this often becomes “have” or “should have.”

Subject	Conjugation	English Translation
Que je	aie	for me to have / that I should have
Que tu	aies	for you to have
Qu’il / elle / on	ait	for him/her to have
Que nous	ayons	for us to have
Que vous	ayez	for you to have
Qu’ils / elles	aient	for them to have

Examples:

• Il faut que j’aie raison. → I need to be right.
• Je veux qu’elle ait le temps. → I want her to have time.
• Bien qu’ils aient peur… → Although they are afraid…

Past Subjunctive

Used when the state existed before the main verb.

Subject	Conjugation	English Translation
Que je	aie eu	for me to have had
Que tu	aies eu	for you to have had
Qu’il / elle / on	ait eu	for him/her to have had
Que nous	ayons eu	for us to have had
Que vous	ayez eu	for you to have had
Qu’ils / elles	aient eu	for them to have had

Examples:

• Je regrette qu’il ait eu peur. → I regret that he was afraid.
• Bien qu’elle ait eu raison… → Although she was right…
• Je suis content qu’ils aient eu le temps. → I’m glad they had time.

Conditional Mood

The conditional expresses hypothetical states, politeness, or imagined situations.

Present Conditional

Subject	Conjugation	English Translation
Je	aurais	I would have
Tu	aurais	you would have
Il / Elle / On	aurait	he / she would have
Nous	aurions	we would have
Vous	auriez	you would have
Ils / Elles	auraient	they would have

Examples:

• J’aurais le temps. → I would have time.
• Elle aurait besoin d’aide. → She would need help.
• Nous aurions une solution. → We would have a solution.

Imperative Mood

The imperative is used to give commands, advice, or encouragement.

Present Imperative

Form	Conjugation	English Translation
(Tu)	aie	have
(Nous)	ayons	let’s have
(Vous)	ayez	have

Examples:

• Aie confiance. → Have confidence.
• Ayons patience. → Let’s be patient.
• Ayez raison. → Be right.

Avoir As An Auxiliary Verb

Avoir is used as the auxiliary verb for most French verbs in compound tenses. When used as an auxiliary, it forms the past tense but does not trigger agreement unless a direct object precedes the verb.

Example:

• J’ai mangé. → I ate.
• Les lettres que j’ai écrites. → The letters I wrote.

FAQ

What Does The Verb Avoir Mean In French?

The verb avoir means “to have,” but its use goes far beyond possession. It expresses age, physical sensations, emotions, obligations, and many fixed expressions. It is also the main auxiliary verb used to form compound past tenses, making it one of the most important verbs in French.

Is Avoir A Regular Or Irregular Verb?

Avoir is an irregular verb. Its conjugation changes significantly across tenses and does not follow standard verb patterns. Because of this, learners must memorize its forms rather than rely on predictable endings.

Why Is Avoir So Important In French?

Avoir is essential because it appears constantly in spoken and written French. It is used to express basic ideas like age and feelings, and it also builds the past tense for most verbs. Mastering avoir improves overall grammar accuracy.

How Do You Conjugate Avoir In The Present Tense?

In the present tense, avoir is conjugated as j’ai, tu as, il a, nous avons, vous avez, ils ont. These forms are used to talk about possession, age, emotions, and physical states.

Why Is It J’ai And Not Je Ai?

French requires elision before a vowel sound. Because ai starts with a vowel, je ai becomes j’ai. This rule always applies and is never optional in correct French.

When Do You Use Avoir Instead Of Être?

Avoir is used to express possession, age, sensations, emotions, and obligations. While English often uses “to be” for these ideas, French relies on avoir, which is why direct translation can cause mistakes.

Why Do You Say J’ai Faim And Not Je Suis Faim?

In French, faim is a noun meaning “hunger.” You are not “being hungry,” you are “having hunger.” That is why avoir is required and être is incorrect in this structure.

What Other Expressions Use Avoir Instead Of Être?

Common expressions include avoir soif, avoir froid, avoir chaud, avoir peur, avoir raison, and avoir tort. All of these describe states or sensations using avoir instead of être.

How Do You Express Age Using Avoir?

French expresses age with avoir rather than être. For example, j’ai vingt ans means “I am twenty years old.” Using être for age is always incorrect in French.

How Do You Use Avoir In The Imperfect Tense?

The imperfect tense of avoir describes ongoing or habitual possession or states in the past. It is conjugated as j’avais, tu avais, il avait, and so on, often translating as “had” or “used to have.”

What Is The Difference Between J’avais And J’ai Eu?

J’avais describes an ongoing or habitual past state, while j’ai eu refers to a completed or specific past experience. The choice depends on whether the situation is viewed as continuous or finished.

How Do You Conjugate Avoir In The Passé Composé?

In the passé composé, avoir becomes j’ai eu, tu as eu, il a eu, and so on. This tense is used to describe a completed state, possession, or experience in the past.

Can Avoir Be Used As Its Own Auxiliary?

Yes, avoir uses itself as its auxiliary in compound tenses, such as j’ai eu. This is normal and follows standard French grammar rules.

What Is The Plus-Que-Parfait Of Avoir Used For?

The plus-que-parfait of avoir describes a state or possession that existed before another past event. It usually translates as “had had” in English.

How Do You Conjugate Avoir In The Plus-Que-Parfait?

In the plus-que-parfait, avoir is conjugated using the imperfect of avoir plus the past participle eu, such as j’avais eu.

How Do You Use Avoir In The Future Tense?

The future tense of avoir describes possession or states that will exist later. It is conjugated as j’aurai, tu auras, il aura, and so on.

What Does J’aurai Mean In English?

J’aurai usually translates as “I will have.” It is used to express future possession, needs, or states, such as j’aurai le temps meaning “I will have time.”

How Do You Use Avoir In The Conditional Tense?

The conditional tense of avoir expresses hypothetical situations, politeness, or imagined states. It usually translates as “would have” in English.

How Do You Conjugate Avoir In The Conditional Tense?

In the present conditional, avoir becomes j’aurais, tu aurais, il aurait, and so on. These forms are common in polite speech and hypothetical scenarios.

When Do You Use The Subjunctive With Avoir?

The subjunctive of avoir is used after expressions of necessity, emotion, doubt, or judgment. It reflects uncertainty or subjectivity rather than fact.

How Do You Conjugate Avoir In The Present Subjunctive?

In the present subjunctive, avoir is conjugated as que j’aie, que tu aies, qu’il ait, que nous ayons, que vous ayez, qu’ils aient.

How Do You Translate Que J’aie In English?

“Que j’aie” usually translates as “for me to have” or “that I should have.” English often restructures the sentence instead of using a direct subjunctive form.

What Is The Past Subjunctive Of Avoir Used For?

The past subjunctive of avoir is used when the state or possession occurred before the main verb and is viewed subjectively. It often translates as “to have had.”

Is The Passé Simple Of Avoir Still Used?

The passé simple of avoir still exists but is mainly used in literature and historical writing. It is not used in spoken French.

How Is Avoir Used As An Auxiliary Verb?

Avoir is the auxiliary verb used to form compound tenses for most French verbs. It helps indicate completed actions in the past without triggering agreement in most cases.

Does Avoir Cause Agreement In The Past Tense?

Normally, avoir does not cause agreement. Agreement only occurs when a direct object precedes the verb, which is a specific grammatical rule learners must study carefully.

How Is Avoir Different From Être?

Avoir expresses possession and many states, while être expresses identity and location. Both are essential, but they follow different grammatical rules and are not interchangeable.

Can Avoir Be Used In Commands?

Yes, avoir can be used in the imperative form to give advice or encouragement, such as aie confiance or ayez patience.

What Does Aie Mean In French?

Aie is the informal imperative form of avoir. It means “have,” and is commonly used in expressions like aie confiance meaning “have confidence.”

Is Avoir Used In Formal French?

Yes, avoir is used in both formal and informal French. Its meaning and conjugation remain the same, though sentence structure may vary in formal writing.

Can Avoir Be Used Figuratively?

Yes, avoir is often used figuratively to describe emotions, mental states, and abstract ideas, such as avoir une idée or avoir du courage.

How Do You Negate Avoir?

Avoir is negated using ne…pas around the verb, such as je n’ai pas le temps. This structure applies consistently across tenses.

Can Avoir Be Used In Questions?

Yes, avoir is commonly used in questions, either with inversion or intonation, such as as-tu faim ? or tu as le temps ?

What Are Common Mistakes Learners Make With Avoir?

Common mistakes include using être instead of avoir for sensations, forgetting elision with j’ai, and misunderstanding agreement rules when avoir is used as an auxiliary.

How Do You Practice Avoir Effectively?

Practice avoir by building sentences about age, feelings, and daily situations. Mixing tenses and using common expressions helps reinforce correct usage.

Should Beginners Learn All Avoir Uses At Once?

Beginners should start with the present tense and common expressions like avoir faim and avoir peur. Other uses can be added gradually.

Why Is Avoir Essential For Past Tenses?

Avoir is used to build the past tense for most verbs in French. Without mastering avoir, it is impossible to conjugate correctly in the passé composé.

Does Avoir Appear In Fixed Expressions?

Yes, many fixed expressions rely on avoir. Learning them as complete phrases helps learners sound more natural and fluent.

How Does Avoir Improve Fluency?

Avoir allows learners to express needs, feelings, age, and experiences clearly. Its frequent use makes it a cornerstone of natural French speech.

Is Avoir One Of The First Verbs To Learn?

Yes, avoir is one of the first verbs taught because it is essential for basic communication and foundational grammar.

Can Avoir Be Used With Adjectives?

Avoir is used with nouns rather than adjectives for many states. The adjective appears after the noun, as in avoir peur or avoir raison.

Why Does Avoir Appear In So Many Grammar Rules?

Because avoir functions both as a main verb and an auxiliary, it plays a major role in tense formation, agreement rules, and sentence structure throughout French.

Final Takeaway

The avoir verb is one of the most powerful tools in French. It expresses possession, age, feelings, and necessity, and it builds past tenses for most verbs. Once you master its irregular forms and understand when it functions as a main verb or auxiliary, your French becomes more natural, accurate, and confident.