Présentpresent
| je (j’) | ai |
|---|---|
| tu | as |
| il/elle/on | a |
| nous | avons |
| vous | avez |
| ils/elles | ont |
More on this: Irregular verbs in the present
Conjugation of avoir
- Meaning to have
- Level A1
- Pattern irregular
- Auxiliary avoir
What is special about this verb
- Irregular in many tenses — the safest way is to learn the whole table. → Irregular verbs in the present
- Its own stem in the future and the conditional: aurai. → Simple future (futur simple)
- Irregular participle: eu. → Irregular past participles
Bold and underlined: the ending. ◆ marks a form that breaks the rule.
Indicative
Imparfaitongoing or habitual past
| je (j’) | avais |
|---|---|
| tu | avais |
| il/elle/on | avait |
| nous | avions |
| vous | aviez |
| ils/elles | avaient |
More on this: Imperfect (imparfait)
Passé simpleliterary past
| je (j’) | eus |
|---|---|
| tu | eus |
| il/elle/on | eut |
| nous | eûmes |
| vous | eûtes |
| ils/elles | eurent |
More on this: Passé simple: reading the narrative tense
Futur simplefuture
| je (j’) | aurai |
|---|---|
| tu | auras |
| il/elle/on | aura |
| nous | aurons |
| vous | aurez |
| ils/elles | auront |
More on this: Simple future (futur simple)
Passé composéperfect
| je (j’) | ai eu |
|---|---|
| tu | as eu |
| il/elle/on | a eu |
| nous | avons eu |
| vous | avez eu |
| ils/elles | ont eu |
More on this: Passé composé with avoir · Passé composé with être
Plus-que-parfaitpast perfect
| je (j’) | avais eu |
|---|---|
| tu | avais eu |
| il/elle/on | avait eu |
| nous | avions eu |
| vous | aviez eu |
| ils/elles | avaient eu |
More on this: Pluperfect (plus-que-parfait)
Futur antérieurfuture perfect
| je (j’) | aurai eu |
|---|---|
| tu | auras eu |
| il/elle/on | aura eu |
| nous | aurons eu |
| vous | aurez eu |
| ils/elles | auront eu |
More on this: Future perfect (futur antérieur)
Conditional
Conditionnel présentconditional
| je (j’) | aurais |
|---|---|
| tu | aurais |
| il/elle/on | aurait |
| nous | aurions |
| vous | auriez |
| ils/elles | auraient |
More on this: The conditional
Conditionnel passéconditional perfect
| je (j’) | aurais eu |
|---|---|
| tu | aurais eu |
| il/elle/on | aurait eu |
| nous | aurions eu |
| vous | auriez eu |
| ils/elles | auraient eu |
More on this: The conditional
Subjunctive
Subjonctif présentpresent subjunctive
| je (j’) | aie |
|---|---|
| tu | aies |
| il/elle/on | ait |
| nous | ayons |
| vous | ayez |
| ils/elles | aient |
More on this: Subjunctive: the forms
Subjonctif passéperfect subjunctive
| je (j’) | aie eu |
|---|---|
| tu | aies eu |
| il/elle/on | ait eu |
| nous | ayons eu |
| vous | ayez eu |
| ils/elles | aient eu |
More on this: The subjunctive in the past
Imperative
Impératifaffirmative imperative
| tu | aie |
|---|---|
| nous | ayons |
| vous | ayez |
More on this: Imperative: the three forms
Impératif négatifnegative imperative
| tu | n’aie pas |
|---|---|
| nous | n’ayons pas |
| vous | n’ayez pas |
More on this: Imperative: the three forms
Non-finite forms
Infinitif et participesinfinitive, gerund, participle
| infinitif | avoir |
|---|---|
| participe présent | ayant |
| participe passé | eu |
More on this: Irregular past participles · The gérondif: en parlant
Example sentences from the course
Every sentence comes from this course’s word lists or grammar topics. The verb form is highlighted, and the line below says which tense and person it is.
J’ai faim.I am hungry.
ai — Présent · je (j’)
Tu as soif ?Are you thirsty?
as — Présent · tu
Hier il a plu.Yesterday it rained.
a — Présent · il/elle/on
Vous avez un plan ?Do you have a street map?
avez — Présent · vous
Ils ont un but commun.They have a shared aim.
ont — Présent · ils/elles
Nous avons deux enfants.We have two children.
avons — Présent · nous
A common trap
Wrong Je suis vingt ans.
Right J’ai vingt ans.
Age is where this goes wrong most often, and it goes wrong twice. Je suis vingt ans uses the wrong verb, and J'ai vingt leaves out the word for years. English says «I am twenty» and drops «years old» as often as not; French changes the verb *and* insists on ans.
Quick practice
5 gaps, first from the example sentences above, then from the table. Every answer counts towards your reviews.
Keep going
Verbs with the same pattern
Related grammar topics
The forms are calculated from the rules of the language — twice, in two independent ways — and checked against every hand-written form in this course. The example sentences are the course’s own.