2 – Me voici!
Grammaire: 2.1 – Le verbe “avoir”
avoir = to have
Formation:
The verb avoir is irregular in the present tense. Listen carefully to the pronunciation of the -s in the plural pronouns nous, vous, and ils/elles. This -s is pronounced as a /z/ to link with the vowel sound in the plural forms of avoir. This liaison, or linking, is especially important in distinguishing ils ont (they have) from the third person plural of être ils sont (they are).
| avoir ‘to have’ | |
| j’ai ‘I have’ | nous avons ‘we have’ |
| tu as ‘you (sg.) have’ | vous avez ‘you (pl.) have |
| elle/il/eil/on a ‘she/he/they/one has’ | elles/ils/eils ont ‘they have’ |
Uses:
- Avoir conveys general ownership.
- It is also used when expressing age in French (unlike the English equivalent, which uses the verb ‘to be.).
| Tex, tu as des frères et des soeurs? | Tex, do you have brothers and sisters? |
| Tex: Oui, j’ai une soeur et un frère. | Tex: Yes, I have a sister and a brother. |
| Quel âge ont-ils? | How old are they? |
| Tex: Ma soeur Rita a 30 ans et mon frère Trey a 16 ans. | Tex: My sister Rita is 30 and my brother Trey is 16. |
Listening Comprehension:
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