FRENCH NOTE 25
The auxiliary verb " avoir "
The meaning of this verb is " to have ". Basically it indicates possession. But that is not all.
First let us see its conjugation in the present tense / indicative mood.
J'ai
Tu as
Il/elle/on a
Nous avons
Vous avez
Ils/ elles ont
While forming compound tenses in French , for almost 99% of the French verbs you need " avoir" as auxiliary verb.
In English we use the verb " to be " for expressing one's age .
He is forty years old.
She is twenty years old.
For English speaking world , " age " is a state of being.
But , surprisingly , for the French , " age " is a sort of possession as the verb " avoir" is
used to express age.
Quel âge avez-vous?
J'ai quarante ans.
If you do a word by word translation, it sounds funny to English ears.
What age do you have ?
I have forty years.
Please avoid literal translation.
How old are you ?
I am forty years old.
A synonym for " avoir " is " posséder "
J'ai une voiture blanche
Je possède une voiture blanche.
I have a white car.
In English the phrase " to have to do something " means that it is necessary to do that.
I have to go to bank today.
I have to write to David.
In French , a similar expression exists.
" avoir à faire quelque chose " is the form which you must remember.
" avoir à faire quelque chose = devoir faire quelque chose "
Aujourd'hui , j'ai à aller à la banque.
Aujourd'hui , je dois aller à la banque.
J'ai à écrire à David.
Je dois écrire à David.
Hope you understood.
Note that after " devoir " no preposition should be put and the infinitive of the second verb follows immediately .
" avoir " can be used in the sense of " to get".
Pouvez-vous m'avoir un chien ?
Can you get me a dog ?
" avoir " can be used to indicate bodily ailments . There are several expressions.
Elle a mal à la tête .
She has head-ache.
The dimensions of length / width/ height can be expressed using " avoir".
Le mur a deux mètres de haut.
The wall measures two meters in height.
There are hundreds of idiomatic expressions using " avoir" which , in due course, we may examine.
That is all for " avoir " now.
Be prepared for " passé composé " in my subséquent notes.
Happy learning.
Sayee Jayaraman
12/12/2014
30/01/2015
The auxiliary verb " avoir "
The meaning of this verb is " to have ". Basically it indicates possession. But that is not all.
First let us see its conjugation in the present tense / indicative mood.
J'ai
Tu as
Il/elle/on a
Nous avons
Vous avez
Ils/ elles ont
While forming compound tenses in French , for almost 99% of the French verbs you need " avoir" as auxiliary verb.
In English we use the verb " to be " for expressing one's age .
He is forty years old.
She is twenty years old.
For English speaking world , " age " is a state of being.
But , surprisingly , for the French , " age " is a sort of possession as the verb " avoir" is
used to express age.
Quel âge avez-vous?
J'ai quarante ans.
If you do a word by word translation, it sounds funny to English ears.
What age do you have ?
I have forty years.
Please avoid literal translation.
How old are you ?
I am forty years old.
A synonym for " avoir " is " posséder "
J'ai une voiture blanche
Je possède une voiture blanche.
I have a white car.
In English the phrase " to have to do something " means that it is necessary to do that.
I have to go to bank today.
I have to write to David.
In French , a similar expression exists.
" avoir à faire quelque chose " is the form which you must remember.
" avoir à faire quelque chose = devoir faire quelque chose "
Aujourd'hui , j'ai à aller à la banque.
Aujourd'hui , je dois aller à la banque.
J'ai à écrire à David.
Je dois écrire à David.
Hope you understood.
Note that after " devoir " no preposition should be put and the infinitive of the second verb follows immediately .
" avoir " can be used in the sense of " to get".
Pouvez-vous m'avoir un chien ?
Can you get me a dog ?
" avoir " can be used to indicate bodily ailments . There are several expressions.
Elle a mal à la tête .
She has head-ache.
The dimensions of length / width/ height can be expressed using " avoir".
Le mur a deux mètres de haut.
The wall measures two meters in height.
There are hundreds of idiomatic expressions using " avoir" which , in due course, we may examine.
That is all for " avoir " now.
Be prepared for " passé composé " in my subséquent notes.
Happy learning.
Sayee Jayaraman
12/12/2014
30/01/2015
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