Être vs Avoir – To Be vs To Have
In French, être and avoir are two of the most essential verbs, so it's crucial to understand when to use each one. This guide goes over their basic uses, key expressions, and helpful examples.
Être
Use être to describe identity, qualities, states, locations, and to form the passive voice. It also appears in certain fixed expressions and in forming the passé composé with some verbs.
Usage
Être marks who someone is, what something is like, and where someone or something is. Use it for descriptions, roles, time, and ongoing conditions.
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Examples
| French Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🐓 Je suis prêt pour la fête. | I am ready for the party. |
| 🎀 Elle est élégante ce soir. | She is elegant tonight. |
| 🏠 Nous sommes chez des amis. | We are at friends’ house. |
| 🌙 Ils sont fatigués après la longue journée. | They are tired after the long day. |
Avoir
Use avoir to express possession, to describe age, and in many idiomatic expressions. It also serves as an auxiliary verb for most verbs in the passé composé.
Usage
Avoir shows ownership or relation, and appears in phrases about needs, sensations, and time when you literally "have" something. Use it for concrete and abstract possessions.
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Examples
| French Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🎂 J’ai apporté un gâteau. | I brought a cake. |
| 🥂 Elle a préparé des boissons. | She prepared some drinks. |
| 🧺 Nous avons beaucoup de nourriture. | We have a lot of food. |
| 🕯️ Ils ont allumé des bougies. | They lit candles. |
Expressions with Être
Several common expressions use être to convey time, mood, and necessity. These are often adjectival phrases that describe a condition or requirement.
| French Expression | English Translation |
|---|---|
| être en retard | to be late |
| être à l'heure | to be on time |
| être prêt(e) | to be ready |
| être d'accord | to agree |
| être fatigué(e) | to be tired |
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Expressions with Avoir
Many frequent expressions use avoir with nouns to describe states like hunger, thirst, fear, and others. These formulas feel more natural than using être in such contexts.
| French Expression | English Translation |
|---|---|
| avoir faim | to be hungry |
| avoir soif | to be thirsty |
| avoir peur | to be afraid |
| avoir raison | to be right |
| avoir tort | to be wrong |
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Summary
In short, use être for identity, descriptions, locations, and states expressed as adjectival conditions, and use avoir for possession, age, and many sensory or necessity expressions. Learning common expressions with each verb will make your speech sound natural.
French Word(s) | English Word(s)
--- | ---
🐓 | Être vs Avoir – To Be vs To Have
être | to be
avoir | to have
être en retard | to be late
avoir faim | to be hungry
Last updated: Tue Sep 16, 2025