In: Level B1, Idioms, Idiomatic Usage, and Structures, Idiotismes avec avoir

Look at these examples:

Youpi! J'ai eu ma licence!
Yippee! I got my B.A.!

Et toi? - Non, je ne l'ai pas eu.
And you? No, I didn't pass [it].

Mon frère a eu son bac.
My brother passed his A-levels.

-> N.B. the bac or Baccalauréat is the compulsory exam that French students take at the end of high school, when they're 18, before going on to university for example. This exam, unlike the British A-Levels, includes all the subjects studied up to then.

In French, to say that you passed an exam (meaning succeeded in it), or that you received/got a degree, you can use the verb avoir and the name of the exam or degree.

Learn more about these related French grammar topics

Idiotismes avec avoir

Examples and resources

Et toi? - Non, je ne l'ai pas eu.
And you? No, I didn't pass [it].

Mon frère a eu son bac.
My brother passed his A-levels.

Youpi! J'ai eu ma licence!
Yippee! I got my B.A.!

Q&A Forum 6 questions, 13 answers

JamesC1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

I answered the quiz in accordance with the tutorial, but my answer was incorrect.

"The wording of the tutorial: Youpi! J'ai eu ma licence! Yippee! I got my B.A.! My answer to the question in the quiz: "Annie a eu sa licence." means: Annie's got her licence. (my answer) Annie sat her B.A. (exam) Annie received her B.A. Annie has her B.A. The correct answer is: Annie received her B.A. Please explain my error.

Asked 11 months ago

Like1Answer5

GruffKwiziq team member

Hi James - sorry you're right, that's not a very well-worded set of answers as 'got' in English is ambiguous. I think the point there was to distinguish between merely 'having' something and earning/winning/passing a test. We'll take a look and improve the question. Thanks for point it out.

Like011 months ago

AlanC1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

Isn't the point that "licence" would be "permis" in French?

Like011 months ago

GruffKwiziq team member

Hi Alan - that did occur to me, but since the focus of the lesson is the role of avoir (not vocabulary) I'm still not sure that was a great question the way it was structured - but we'll look at it and decide what to do.

Like011 months ago

JamesC1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

Thanks . Any chance of getting my - 9,7% reversed?

Like011 months ago

GruffKwiziq team member

Sorry James, that's technically very hard to do - but it'll soon go (also if you add the lesson to your notebook you can kwiz it quickly)

Like011 months ago

James asked:View original

I answered the quiz in accordance with the tutorial, but my answer was incorrect.

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DavidC1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

J'ai eu mon exam

In the quiz it was expected that you choose this form as well as the expected J'ai reussi mon exam or J'ai obtenu mon exam. In the lesson it states that you can use J'ai eu with the name of the exam (e.g. bac or licence).

So would a French speaker really use the J'ai eu or J'ai obtenu form with "mon exam"?

It seems unlikely. Rather like in English we would not say "I got my exam" or "I obtained my exam" where, of course, we have no problem with "I got my degree" or "I obtained my dregree"

Asked 1 year ago

Like0Answer0

David asked:View original

J'ai eu mon exam

So would a French speaker really use the J'ai eu or J'ai obtenu form with "mon exam"?

It seems unlikely. Rather like in English we would not say "I got my exam" or "I obtained my exam" where, of course, we have no problem with "I got my degree" or "I obtained my dregree"

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RichardB2Kwiziq community member

"A levels"?

Asked 2 years ago

Like0Answer3

RichardB2Kwiziq community member

Simply noting that for many American subscribers, exam questions referring to 'A levels' are confusing as the term has no meaning for US schools. I've lived in worked in the UK, so I do understand the questions - but I do suspect that quiziq's use of British-specific terms makes this wonderful tool a bit more difficult for the many folks to whom I intend to recommend it....

Like02 years ago

RonC1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

Bonjour Richard, I am an American subscriber and have only heard of «A levels». While this is not the proper forum for an explanation, I would appreciate a useful link to learn more detail of what that entails. I do, at times, find myself doing a double-take when I run across the British-specific terms. Merci en avance.

Like02 years ago

MichaelC1Kwiziq community member

Non British but as I understand it when you finish school you can do your O-levels (basic education level) and finish or you can do an extra level (A level) which is higher education but still run by the government. In the US there is no equivalent. You finish school and go to college for higher education. France seemingly follows the UK model (or probably vice versa). In my country (South Africa) we follow the US system except for certain schools which for various reasons specifically elect to follow the UK way.

Like01 year ago

Richard asked:View original

"A levels"?

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MichaelC1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

Si vous échouez, essayez-vous de «passer le buck»?

Asked 2 years ago

Like0Answer1

GruffKwiziq team member

On peut dire "faire porter le chapeau à [qqn]" (to pass the buck / blame someone) :)

Like02 years ago

Michael asked:View original

Si vous échouez, essayez-vous de «passer le buck»?

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JenniferC1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

I got my ba vs i received my ba

In the lesson il,a eu so ba is translated as he got his ba but in the quiz as he received his ba. Are they the same. Received seems like an award ceremony but got more like passed?

Asked 2 years ago

Like0Answer3

AurélieKwiziq team member

Bonjour Jennifer ! Yes, here we mean the same thing, as often passing an exam is equivalent to receiving the corresponding degree in English. "In French, to say that you passed an exam (meaning succeeded in it), or that you received/got a degree, you can use the verb 'avoir' and the name of the exam or degree." I hope that's helpful! Bonne Année !

Like02 years ago

JenniferC1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

Bonne Année à vous aussi, and thank you for your reply. Yes it makes sense now

Like02 years ago

JenniferC1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

Bonne Année à vous aussi, and thank you for your reply. Yes it makes sense now

Like02 years ago

Jennifer asked:View original

I got my ba vs i received my ba

In the lesson il,a eu so ba is translated as he got his ba but in the quiz as he received his ba. Are they the same. Received seems like an award ceremony but got more like passed?

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DoraidaC1Kwiziq community member

In this case: No, I did not pass it is a right answer too?

Et toi? - Non, je ne l'ai pas eu. And you? No, I haven't passed it

Asked 3 years ago

Like0Answer1

SherilynB2Kwiziq community member

Why when using the verb avoir, is eu used for it

Like01 year ago

Doraida asked:View original

In this case: No, I did not pass it is a right answer too?

Et toi? - Non, je ne l'ai pas eu. And you? No, I haven't passed it

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Avoir un exam = To pass an exam

Learn more about these related French grammar topics

Idiotismes avec avoir

Examples and resources

Q&A Forum 6 questions, 13 answers

I answered the quiz in accordance with the tutorial, but my answer was incorrect.

I answered the quiz in accordance with the tutorial, but my answer was incorrect.

J'ai eu mon exam

J'ai eu mon exam

"A levels"?

"A levels"?

Si vous échouez, essayez-vous de «passer le buck»?

Si vous échouez, essayez-vous de «passer le buck»?

I got my ba vs i received my ba

I got my ba vs i received my ba

In this case: No, I did not pass it is a right answer too?

In this case: No, I did not pass it is a right answer too?

Find your French level for FREE

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