Goal
You’ll be able to correctly conjugate and use être (to be) and avoir (to have), two genuinely essential irregular verbs whose importance goes well beyond their own literal meanings.
Learn
Être (to be) and avoir (to have) are among the most frequently used verbs in French, and both are genuinely irregular:
être: je suis, tu es, il/elle est, nous sommes, vous êtes, ils/elles sont avoir: j'ai, tu as, il/elle a, nous avons, vous avez, ils/elles ont
Beyond their own literal meanings, these two verbs have a genuinely important, additional role covered in depth in Part 4: they serve as the auxiliary verbs for forming the passé composé (a major past tense), with most verbs using avoir and a specific set of verbs using être instead. Mastering these conjugations thoroughly now pays off significantly later.
A genuinely useful expression pattern worth noting: French uses avoir (not être) for many expressions that English expresses with “to be” — j’ai faim (I am hungry, literally “I have hunger”), j’ai froid (I am cold, literally “I have cold”). This mismatch between English “to be” and French “to have” for these specific expressions is a genuinely common source of confusion for English speakers.
Decision Task
You want to say “I am hungry” in French. Before reading on: based on this lesson, would you use a form of être or a form of avoir?
Show Answer
A form of avoir — j’ai faim (literally “I have hunger”). Despite English using “to be” for hunger, French genuinely uses avoir for this and several similar expressions, a real, common point of confusion this lesson specifically highlights.
Common Mistake
Directly translating English “to be” expressions (like “I am hungry,” “I am cold”) using être in French, when French genuinely uses avoir for these specific expressions instead. This mismatch between the two languages’ verb choices is a real, common source of errors for English speakers.
Practice Questions
1. Conjugate être for “je” (I).
Show Answer
suis
2. Conjugate avoir for “nous” (we).
Show Answer
avons
3. How would you say “I am cold” in French, using the correct verb?
Show Answer
J’ai froid. (using avoir, not être)
4. What additional, important role do être and avoir play beyond their own literal meanings, covered later in this course?
Show Answer
They serve as the auxiliary verbs for forming the passé composé past tense.
5. Why is “I have hunger” a more literal translation of the correct French expression than “I am hungry”?
Show Answer
Because French uses avoir (to have) for this expression, not être (to be), unlike English.
Try It Yourself
Without looking back, fully conjugate être across all six subject forms.
Show Answer
suis, es, est, sommes, êtes, sont
Quick Check
1. What does être mean?
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To be.
2. What does avoir mean?
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To have.
3. What is the “je” form of avoir?
Show Answer
ai
4. What is the “je” form of être?
Show Answer
suis
5. What role do these two verbs play in forming the passé composé, covered later in this course?
Show Answer
They serve as the auxiliary (helping) verbs.