Languages › French The Many French Idiomatic Expressions With 'Avoir' ('to Have') Expressions with 'avoir' take you from 'feeling blue' to 'feeling great' Share Flipboard Email Print "Elle doit avoir froid." She must be cold. Sam Edwards/Caiaimage/Getty Images French Vocabulary Pronunciation & Conversation Grammar Resources For Teachers By ThoughtCo Updated February 25, 2019 The French verb avoir ("to have") is one of the most useful, flexible, and basic verbs in the French language, which probably explains its propensity to pop up in a slew of idiomatic expressions. French idiomatic expressions using avoir take you on a tour of the human condition, from feeling blue to feeling great, having charm to having the giggles, being right to being wrong. Expressions That Use Avoir Here are a few of the many expressions that use avoir. avoir ___ ans > to be ___ years oldavoir à + infinitive > to have to do somethingavoir beau + infinitive > despite doing, however much (one) doesavoir besoin de > to needavoir chaud > to be hotavoir confiance en > to trustavoir de la chance > to be luckyavoir du charme > to have charmavoir du chien (informal) > to be attractive, have a certain somethingavoir du pain sur la planche (informal) > to have a lot to do, have a lot on one's plateavoir du pot (informal) > to be luckyavoir envie de > to wantavoir faim > to be hungryavoir froid > to be coldavoir honte de > to be ashamed of/aboutavoir horreur de > to detest/loatheavoir l'air (de) > to look (like)avoir la frite > to feel greatavoir la gueule de bois > to have a hangover, to be hungoveravoir la patate > to feel greatavoir le beurre et l'argent du beurre > to have one's cake and eat it tooavoir le cafard (informal) > to feel low / blue / down in the dumpsavoir l'esprit de l'escalier > to be unable to think of witty comebacks in timeavoir le fou rire > to have the gigglesavoir le mal de mer > to be seasickavoir les chevilles qui enflent (informal) > to be full of oneselfavoir l'habitude de > to be used to, in the habit ofavoir l'heure > to have (know) the timeavoir lieu > to take placeavoir l'intention de > to intend / plan toavoir mal à la tête, aux yeux, à l'estomac > to have a headache, a stomachache, eye painavoir mal au cœur > to be sick to one's stomachavoir peur de > to be afraidavoir raison > to be rightavoir soif > to be thirstyavoir sommeil > to be sleepyavoir tort > to be wrongavoir un chat dans la gorge > to have a frog in one's throatavoir un cheveu (sur la langue) (informal) > to lispavoir un petit creux (informal) > to be a little hungry / peckishavoir un poil dans la main (informal) > to be lazyavoir un trou (de mémoire) > to have a memory loss, to have one's mind go blankavoir une dent contre quelqu'un (informal) > to hold a grudge against someoneavoir une faim de loup (informal) > to be ravenous, famishedchacun a son goût > to each his ownen avoir (familiar) > to have gutsen avoir ras le bol (informal) > to be fed upil y a + noun > there is, there are ___il y a + period of time > ___ agon'avoir qu'à + infinitive > to just / only have to do somethingQuand les poules auront des dents ! > When pigs fly!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) Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation ThoughtCo. "The Many French Idiomatic Expressions With 'Avoir' ('to Have')." ThoughtCo, Aug. 26, 2020, thoughtco.com/french-expressions-with-avoir-1368646. ThoughtCo. (2020, August 26). The Many French Idiomatic Expressions With 'Avoir' ('to Have'). Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/french-expressions-with-avoir-1368646 ThoughtCo. "The Many French Idiomatic Expressions With 'Avoir' ('to Have')." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/french-expressions-with-avoir-1368646 (accessed January 25, 2021). copy citation