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Avoir Expressions


Avoir le monde dans sa poche …
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Having French Phrases

The French verb avoir, “to have,” is found in many essential and idiomatic expressions, including to want, to loathe, and to take place. Learn these and dozens of other French expressions featuring avoir.

Avoir translations

to have
to be
to get (obtain)
to wear (clothing)

Proverbs with avoir

avoir le beurre et l’argent du beurre		to have one’s cake and eat it too
Un tiens vaut mieux que deux tu l’auras.		A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
vendre la peau de l’ours (avant de l’avoir tué)		to count one’s chickens (before they’re hatched)

Expressions with avoir

avoir à + infinitive			to have to do something
avoir beau + infinitive			despite doing, however much (one) does
avoir besoin de			to need
avoir confiance en			to trust
avoir d’autres chats à fouetter	(informal)		to have other fish to fry
avoir du charme			to have charm
avoir du chien	(informal)		to have a certain something, be attractive
avoir du mal à + infinitive			to have trouble, struggle doing
avoir du mal avec + noun			to have trouble, struggle with
avoir du pain sur la planche	(informal)		to have a lot to do, have a lot on one’s plate
avoir envie de			to want, feel like
avoir horreur de			to detest/loathe
avoir l’air (de)			to look (like)
avoir l’air fin	(informal)		to look like an idiot / a fool
avoir la flemme de + infinitive			to not feel like doing
avoir la frite	(informal)		to feel great
avoir la gueule de bois			to have a hangover, to be hungover
avoir la patate	(informal)		to feel great
avoir la pêche	(informal)		to feel peachy
avoir le bac			to pass the bac
avoir le cafard	(informal)		to feel low/blue/down in the dumps
avoir le fou rire			to have the giggles
avoir le trac			to have stage fright
avoir les chevilles qui enflent	(informal)		to have a swelled head
avoir l’heure			to have (know) the time
avoir lieu			to take place
avoir l’impression que			to have / be under the impression that
avoir l’intention de			to intend/plan to
avoir mal à la tête, aux yeux, à l’estomac			to have a headache, eye ache, stomachache
avoir quelqu’un dans sa poche	(informal)		to have someone in the palm of one’s hand
avoir un bébé			to have a baby
avoir un chat dans la gorge			to have a frog in one’s throat
avoir un cheveu (sur la langue)	(informal)		to lisp
avoir un examen			to pass a test
avoir un trou (de mémoire)			to have a memory loss, to have one’s mind go blank
avoir une dent contre quelqu’un	(informal)		to hold a grudge against someone
chacun a son goût			to each his own
en avoir	(familiar)		to have guts
il y a + period of time			___ ago
n’avoir qu’à + infinitive			to just/only have to do something
Quand les poules auront des dents !			When pigs fly!

Expressions with avoir = "to be"

There are a number of French expressions in which avoir is equivalent to "to be":

avoir ___ ans			to be ___ years old
avoir chaud			to be hot
avoir de la chance			to be lucky
avoir du chien	(informal)		to be attractive, have a certain something
avoir du pot	(informal)		to be lucky
avoir faim			to be hungry
avoir froid			to be cold
avoir honte de			to be ashamed of/about
avoir l’esprit de l’escalier			to be unable to think of witty comebacks in time
avoir l’habitude			to be used to, in the habit of
avoir le mal de mer			to be seasick
avoir les chevilles qui enflent	(informal)		to be full of oneself
avoir mal au cœur			to be sick to one’s stomach
avoir peur de			to be afraid
avoir raison			to be right
avoir soif			to be thirsty
avoir sommeil			to be sleepy
avoir tort			to be wrong
avoir la trouille			to be scared to death
avoir un petit creux	(informal)		to be a little hungry/peckish
avoir un poil dans la main	(informal)		to be lazy
avoir une faim de loup	(informal)		to be ravenous, famished
en avoir ras le bol	(informal)		to be fed up
il y a + noun			there is, there are ___
Il y a quelque chose qui cloche.			Something is amiss.

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