So instead of using Je I have to use J'ai ? Am I understanding this correctly?
The verb avoir (to have) is irregular (it doesn't follow the same conjugation rules as other verbs ending in -oir).
It conjugates like this in Le Présent:
| j' | ai |
| tu | as |
| il/elle/on | a |
| nous | avons |
| vous | avez |
| ils/elles | ont |
Have a listen to these examples:
Learn more about these related French grammar topics
Examples and resources
Q&A Forum 14 questions, 24 answers
JoseKwiziq community member
I need clarification?
Asked 2 months ago
Bonjour Jose !
You have understood correctly.
This is a case of elision done as there were two vowels coming simultaneously.
Hence J’ai = I have (not Je ai)
Hope this helps !
Jose asked:View original
I need clarification?
So instead of using Je I have to use J'ai ? Am I understanding this correctly?
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PeggieKwiziq community member
rendez vous
Why does J'ai rendez-vous not have an article
Asked 7 months ago
Hi Peggie,
As Tom rightly said :
Avoir (un) rendez-vous is to have an appointment
with or without the article.
It is the same for, to make an appointment -
Prendre (un) rendez-vous
Je vais prendre (un) rendez-vous chez le coiffeur= I am going to make an appointment at the hairdresser's
Hope this helps!
Tom Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
Hi Peggie,
It is possible to use an article with "rendez-vous"
(i) J'ai un rendez-vous (chez, à, avec etc)
(ii) J'ai rendez-vous (chez, à, avec etc)
The only difference that I can think of between them is that (i) can stand alone - J'ai un rendez-vous. whereas (ii) might require qualification J'ai rendez-vous chez le médicin
Perhaps a native speaker could elaborate.
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Chris Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
You need to form comprehensible questions. I don't know what you're asking.
-- Chris.
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Kyaw Kwiziq community member
Bonjour.
Which conjugated verb will a proper noun take? How about common nouns? Is there any difference in singularity and plurality of the verbs as in English?
Asked 2 years ago
Ron Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
Bonjour Kyaw,
a proper noun, i.e. a person's name, will use the third person singular. Let's look at some examples:
J'ai un chien.
I have a dog.
So if we want to state that Jean has a dog, then the phrase becomes «Jean a un chien»
Nous avons deux chats.
We have two cats.
In speaking about my family, to use a common noun,
Ma famille a deux chats or Nous avons deux chats.
or how about «the house has a roof»
la maison a un toit.
Elle a une souris.
She has a mouse.
In these examples, except for nous, they all use the third person singular. With nous it takes the first person plural, nous avons.
I hope this helps,
Bonne chance,
Ron
Kyaw Kwiziq community member
Merci prof. It helps. So if the subject is plural proper nouns such as John et Alice or plural common nouns such as La maisons, which verbs can we use to be compatable with.
Kyaw asked:View original
Bonjour.
Which conjugated verb will a proper noun take? How about common nouns? Is there any difference in singularity and plurality of the verbs as in English?
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AurélieKwiziq team member
Bonjour Candace !
Well, in French, you will use "avoir [un bras / une bouche / ... ]", and in English I would use "to have" as well.
Does this answer your question?
MaxKwiziq community member
Bonsoir!
That's interesting, Aurélie. I'm Brazilian, and in Portuguese (which also comes from latin) we have a similar construction. We can say "nós" (= French's "nous") which takes a plural verb, or we can say "a gente", which has the same meaning as "nós", but takes a singular verb, just as "on" does in French.
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CandaceKwiziq community member
Bonjour. Is it possible to use On? Would I conjugate on a or on avons? Merci.
Asked 3 years ago
AurélieKwiziq team member
Bonjour Candace !
Yes, of course, "on" is actually more common in speech than "nous".
You conjugate verbs with it as you do "il/elle", so it will be "on a".
I hope that's helpful!
À bientôt !
Candace asked:View original
Bonjour. Is it possible to use On? Would I conjugate on a or on avons? Merci.
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AurélieKwiziq team member
J'habite dans un petit appartement en plein centre-ville, et pour être honnête, je n'ai pas vraiment envie :)
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CharlesKwiziq community member
T'as
Actually I saw people using 't'as' in sitcoms, and I guessed it should be 'tu as'. Do we get to use that once we are more advanced? It's an informal expression, right?
Asked 3 years ago
AurélieKwiziq team member
Bonjour Charles !
That's an interesting question:
indeed, "t'as" is the contraction of "tu as" (you have), just like "t'es" is the contraction of "tu es" (you are).
It's extremely commonly used in speech: I mean, everyone says "t'as" and "t'es"!
However, unlike in English where "you're" or "I'm" are perfectly acceptable written forms, in French you are not supposed to write the contracted forms, only "tu as" or "tu es".
I hope that answers your question!
Charles asked:View original
T'as
Actually I saw people using 't'as' in sitcoms, and I guessed it should be 'tu as'. Do we get to use that once we are more advanced? It's an informal expression, right?
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LisaKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Why do you contract je ai to j'ai but leave tu as and not t'as ?
It seems like tu never contracts with the following verb. Are there other words that end in vowels but never contract with the next word ?
Asked 3 years ago
LisaKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Is it perhaps because the French u followed by a doesn't have a glottal stop in the same way that French e followed by a has?
LauraKwiziq team member
Bonjour Lisa,
In grammatically correct French, E is the only vowel that contracts. So je, me, te, le, etc all contract, but tu, qui, etc do not.
The only exceptions are la and si, but the latter only when it means "if" and only in front of il and ils.
LisaKwiziq Q&A regular contributor
Oh, that is interesting. I don't think I've seen that pointed out anywhere. Merci.
Lisa asked:View original
Why do you contract je ai to j'ai but leave tu as and not t'as ?
It seems like tu never contracts with the following verb. Are there other words that end in vowels but never contract with the next word ?
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