
However, these two verbs are much more complex than that, and their relationship to other verbs and each other is an interesting one. If you haven’t realized it yet, these two verbs are not only perhaps the most commonly used French verbs, but they’re infinitely useful in creating French’s compound verb tenses.įor starters, on their own, the verb être means “to be” and the verb avoir means “to have.” These two verbs are used in this simple sense to say things like je suis professeur (I am a teacher) or elle a une tasse (she has a cup). Être and Avoir: The 2 Most Important Verbs in French (Download) And… Fight! The Ultimate Guide to Être vs. This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that youĬlick here to get a copy.

The true battle is learning when one is used over the other, and what specific rules govern their actions.Īnd that’s what we’re going to cover in this post. If anything, they’re teammates who take turns, tagging the other in from time to time. Être and avoir may engage in some friendly sparring from time to time, but they’re not enemies.

However, it doesn’t take long to find out that this battle, while real in its own right, is all in the learner’s head. Avoir: A Complete Breakdown of 2 French SuperverbsĪn ongoing battle of wills between French verbs être (to be) and avoir (to have). Avoir: A Complete Breakdown of 2 French Superverbsīy Michael Cristiano Être vs. Home » French Vocab and Grammar » Être vs.
