Verb tensesA1 · Beginner
Être and avoir in the present
Être (to be) and avoir (to have) are the two most important verbs in French — they're irregular, used everywhere, and later form compound tenses like the passé composé. Learn them by heart.\n\nÊtre: je suis, tu es, il/elle est, nous sommes, vous êtes, ils/elles sont.\n\nAvoir: j'ai, tu as, il/elle a, nous avons, vous avez, ils/elles ont.\n\nNote: French uses avoir for age — j'ai vingt ans (literally "I have twenty years").
Examples
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je suis étudiant. | I am a student. |
| Elle a deux frères. | She has two brothers. |
| Nous avons faim. | We are hungry (lit. we have hunger). |
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