The Many French Expressions With 'Avoir' ('to Have')

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)

The Many French Idiomatic Expressions With 'Avoir' ('to Have')

Expressions with 'avoir' take you from 'feeling blue' to 'feeling great'

Expressions That Use Avoir