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 Team Updated on 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 old avoir à + infinitive > to have to do something avoir beau + infinitive > despite doing, however much (one) does avoir besoin de > to need avoir chaud > to be hot avoir confiance en > to trust avoir de la chance > to be lucky avoir du charme > to have charm avoir du chien (informal) > to be attractive, have a certain something avoir du pain sur la planche (informal) > to have a lot to do, have a lot on one's plate avoir du pot (informal) > to be lucky avoir envie de > to want avoir faim > to be hungry avoir froid > to be cold avoir honte de > to be ashamed of/about avoir horreur de > to detest/loathe avoir l'air (de) > to look (like) avoir la frite > to feel great avoir la gueule de bois > to have a hangover, to be hungover avoir la patate > to feel great avoir le beurre et l'argent du beurre > to have one's cake and eat it too avoir le cafard (informal) > to feel low / blue / down in the dumps avoir l'esprit de l'escalier > to be unable to think of witty comebacks in time avoir le fou rire > to have the giggles avoir le mal de mer > to be seasick avoir les chevilles qui enflent (informal) > to be full of oneself avoir l'habitude de > to be used to, in the habit of avoir l'heure > to have (know) the time avoir lieu > to take place avoir l'intention de > to intend / plan to avoir mal à la tête, aux yeux, à l'estomac > to have a headache, a stomachache, eye pain 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 un chat dans la gorge > to have a frog in one's throat avoir un cheveu (sur la langue) (informal) > to lisp avoir un petit creux (informal) > to be a little hungry / peckish avoir un poil dans la main (informal) > to be lazy 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 avoir une faim de loup (informal) > to be ravenous, famished chacun a son goût > to each his own en avoir (familiar) > to have guts en avoir ras le bol (informal) > to be fed up il y a + noun > there is, there are ___ 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! 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 Team, ThoughtCo. "The Many French Idiomatic Expressions With 'Avoir' ('to Have')." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/french-expressions-with-avoir-1368646. Team, ThoughtCo. (2023, April 5). The Many French Idiomatic Expressions With 'Avoir' ('to Have'). Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/french-expressions-with-avoir-1368646 Team, ThoughtCo. "The Many French Idiomatic Expressions With 'Avoir' ('to Have')." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/french-expressions-with-avoir-1368646 (accessed May 31, 2023). copy citation