avoir

to have

In French, 'avoir' is used to indicate possession, quite similar to 'to have' in English. It is also used in a variety of idiomatic expressions and in the formation of many compound tenses.

verb

Example sentences using: avoir

J'ai un chat noir

I have a black cat

In French, 'avoir' means 'to have'. The phrase 'J'ai un chat noir' translates to 'I have a black cat'. Here, 'avoir' is used in the standard context of possessing something.

Nous avons besoin d'aide

We need help

In French, 'avoir besoin de' means 'to need'. So, 'Nous avons besoin d'aide' translates to 'We need help'. Here, 'avoir' is used in conjunction with 'besoin' to convey necessity.

Tu as de beaux yeux

You have beautiful eyes

In French, 'avoir' is used to describe physical attributes. 'Tu as de beaux yeux' is a compliment that translates into English as 'You have beautiful eyes'.