French Vocabulary - Word avoir

avoir
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Meaning: [verb] to have (own), to have got; have to; to be [noun] an asset, possession

Pronunciation: X-SAMPA: [a-vwaR] IPA: [av'waʁ]

Part of speech: verb or noun

Example sentences:

C’est difficile d'avoir des idées géniales.
It's difficult to have great ideas.

J'ai pris ma décision.
I made my decision.

Je veux savoir qui vient avec nous.
I want to know who is coming with us.

Ce bébé a de très beaux yeux.
This baby has beautiful eyes.

J'aimerais avoir 10 dollars.
I'd like to have 10 dollars.

Il va avoir à faire les courses.
He will have to do the shopping.

J'ai parlé.
I have spoken.

Quel âge avez-vous?
How old are you?

Elle a 18 ans.
She is 18 years old.
Literally: She has 18 years.

J’ai un très bon emploi.
I have a very good job.

Nous avons un logement très agréable.
We have a very nice home.

Je n’ai plus beaucoup d’argent.
I don't have much money.

Pierre a deux filles.
Peter has two daughters.

Etienne n’avait pas beaucoup d'amis.
Etienne did not have many friends.

La Mongolie n’a que deux voisins: la Russie et la Chine.
Mongolia has only two neighbors, Russia and China.

Il a les yeux bleus.
He has blue eyes.

Puis-je avoir un reçu?
May I have a receipt?

J'ai faim.
I'm hungry.

Tu as de la chance.
You're lucky.

Il y a eu un accident.
There has been an accident.

Il a eu tout ce qu’il demandait.
He had everything he wanted.

J’ai eu ce cheval à très bon marché.
I've got this horse very cheap.

Il a vendu beaucoup de livres.
He sold a lot of books.

Si j'avais travaillé fort, j'aurais réussi.
If I had worked hard, I would have succeeded.

J'ai une nouvelle amie.
I have a new friend.

C'est mes avoirs, c'est mes tresorz.
It is my possession, it is my treasure.

L'antilope a plusieurs prédateurs.
The antelope has many predators.

J’ai un patron exigeant.
I have a demanding boss.

Idioms and set expressions:

avoir bon dos = to belong to
avoir à voir = to have to do with
en avoir assez = have had enough
avoir 3 ans = to be 3 years old'
avoir des enfants = to have children
avoir pour... = to have as...
avoir un prix = to receive a bonus
se faire avoir, se laisser avoir = to be deceived, get caught
avoir un faim du loup = to be extremely hungry
avoir le temps de = to have the time to
avoir l'occasion de = to have the opportunity to
avoir du chien = to be alluring, sexy
avoir lieu = to take place
avoir de la chance = to be lucky
avoir l'habitude de = to be accustomed to
avoir l'intention de = to intend to
avoir besoin de = to need
J'ai besoin de… = I need...
avoir envie de = to need
avoir faim = to be hungry
avoir froid = to be cold (speaking of a person)
avoir peur de = to be afraid of
avoir soif = to be thirsty
avoir sommeil = to be sleepy
avoir tort = to be wrong
avoir … ans = to be … years old
avoir l'air (+ adjective) = to seem, look
avoir l'air de (+ infinitive) = to seem to, look as if

Related words:

il y a = there is, there are
posséder = to have, to have got
se procurer = to get
tromper = to cheat, deceive, trick, to be had

Proverbs and sayings:

Other forms of the verb (conjugations):

The French verb avoir (to be) is irregular. You need to memorize all of its forms.

j'ai	I have	[zhay]
tu as	you have	[tew ah]
il, elle, on a	he, she, one has	[eel, ehl, ohN, ah]
nous avons	we have	[noo zah-vohN]
vous avez	you have	[voo zah-vay]
ils, elles ont	they have	[eel, ehlz ohN]