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French auxiliary verbs: 1. avoir - forms and use
Auxiliaries are
functional
verbs that are added to other verbs in order to form particular tenses.
1. Avoir
Avoir - to have - is a verb with two roles
Note: For each tense, a sample English equivalent is given for the first person singular. This represents the most common translation of the tense in question, but not the only possibility.
Notes
the present indicative is also used as an auxiliary to form the perfect (passé composé) tense
The future indicative is also used as an auxiliary to form the future-perfect (futur-antérieur tense)
The imperfect indicative is also used as an auxiliary to form the pluperfect or past perfect (passé antérieur) tense
Notes
The preterire indicative is also used as an alternative auxiliary to form the pluperfect or past perfect (passé antérieur) tense. In the case of the verb avoir, this is rarely - if ever - used; example j'eus eu
Table 4
Table 5
Further subjunctive cases - such as a pluperfect subjunctive - can theoretically be formed, though to all intents and purposes these are never used in modern French.
Avoir - to have - is a verb with two roles
►Firstly it is a lexical verb in its own right, meaning "to have" or "to possess".
Examples:
We have a beautiful black cat
- Nous avons un beau chat noir.
Tomorrow I'll have plenty of time.
Demain j'aurai beaucoup de temps.
The professor had several research assistants
Le professeur avait plusieurs assistants de recherche.
You've had enough time !.
Vous avez eu assez de temps.
You'll have had enough of it by tomorrow.
Vous en aurez eu assez d'ici demain..
It's possible that he may have flu.
Il est possible qu'il ait la grippe.
Have some respect, please.
Ayez du respect, s'il vous plaît !.
We have a beautiful black cat
- Nous avons un beau chat noir.
Tomorrow I'll have plenty of time.
Demain j'aurai beaucoup de temps.
The professor had several research assistants
Le professeur avait plusieurs assistants de recherche.
You've had enough time !.
Vous avez eu assez de temps.
You'll have had enough of it by tomorrow.
Vous en aurez eu assez d'ici demain..
It's possible that he may have flu.
Il est possible qu'il ait la grippe.
Have some respect, please.
Ayez du respect, s'il vous plaît !.
►Secondly it is an auxiliary which combines with the past participle of most French verbs to form certain tenses.
Examples:
I've broken my computer
J'ai cassé mon ordinateur.
The president has promised to introduce several reforms.
Le président a promis d'introduire plusieurs réformes.
The child had lost his mother
L'enfant avait perdu sa maman.
I'd have failed if my brother hadn't helped me
J'aurais échoué si mon frère ne m'avait pas aidé
I've broken my computer
J'ai cassé mon ordinateur.
The president has promised to introduce several reforms.
Le président a promis d'introduire plusieurs réformes.
The child had lost his mother
L'enfant avait perdu sa maman.
I'd have failed if my brother hadn't helped me
J'aurais échoué si mon frère ne m'avait pas aidé
Principal tenses formed using the auxiliary avoir :
►
The perfect or composite past
(passé composé). Formed with the present tense of
avoir and a past participle.
Example: J'ai mangé - I've eaten
Example: J'ai mangé - I've eaten
► The pluperfect or
past-perfect (passé antérieur). Formed
with the imperfect
tense of avoir and a past participle.
Example: J'avais mangé
- I had eaten► The
future-perfect (futur antérieur). Formed
with the future
tense of avoir and a past participle.
Example: J'aurai mangé -
I will have eaten► The past
conditional (passé conditionnel). Formed
with the conditional tense of avoir and a past participle.
Example: J'aurais mangé -
I would have eatenVerb tables: Avoir
Note: For each tense, a sample English equivalent is given for the first person singular. This represents the most common translation of the tense in question, but not the only possibility.
| Person | Present (I have) |
Future (I will have) |
Imperfect (I had / was having) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Singular. | j'ai | j'aurai | j'avais |
| 2nd Singular | tu as | tu auras | tu avais |
| 3rd Singular | il / elle / on ... a | il (..) aura | il (..) avait |
| 1st plural | nous avons | nous aurons | nous avions |
| 2nd plural | vous avez | vous aurez | vous aviez |
| 3rd plural | ils / elles ont | ils auront | ils avaient |
Notes
the present indicative is also used as an auxiliary to form the perfect (passé composé) tense
The future indicative is also used as an auxiliary to form the future-perfect (futur-antérieur tense)
The imperfect indicative is also used as an auxiliary to form the pluperfect or past perfect (passé antérieur) tense
| Person | Preterite (I had) |
Perfect
(passé composé) (I have had) |
Pluperfect (I'd had) |
| 1st Singular. | j'eus | j'ai eu | j'avais eu |
| 2nd Singular | tu eus | tu as eu | tu avais eu |
| 3rd Singular | il (..) eut | il (..) a eu | il avait eu |
| 1st plural | nous eûmes | nous avons eu | nous avions eu |
| 2nd plural | vous eûtes | vous avez eu | vous aviez eu |
| 3rd plural | ils eurent | ils ont eu | ils avaient eu |
Notes
The preterire indicative is also used as an alternative auxiliary to form the pluperfect or past perfect (passé antérieur) tense. In the case of the verb avoir, this is rarely - if ever - used; example j'eus eu
| Person | Future
perfect (I will have had) |
Conditional (I would have) |
Past
conditional (I would have had) |
| 1st Singular. | j'aurai eu | j'aurais | j'aurais eu |
| 2nd Singular | tu auras eu | tu aurais | tu aurais eu |
| 3rd Singular | il aura eu | il aurait | il aurait eu |
| 1st plural | nous aurons eu | nous aurions | nous aurions eu |
| 2nd plural | vous aurez eu | vous auriez | vous auriez eu |
| 3rd plural | ils auront eu | ils auraient | ils auraient eu |
Table 4
| . | Imperative | . | Present participle |
| Person | (have) |
||
| 2nd Singular | aies | . | ayant |
| 1st plural | ayons | . | |
| 2nd plural | ayez | . |
Table 5
| Tenses (subjunctive) : | |||
| Person | Present (may have) |
preterite (might have) |
Perfect
(parfait) (may have had) |
| 1st Singular. | aie | eusse | aie eu |
| 2nd Singular | aies | eusses | aies eu |
| 3rd Singular | ait | eût | ait eu |
| 1st plural | ayons | eussions | ayons eu |
| 2nd plural | ayez | eussiez | ayez eu |
| 3rd plural | aient | eussent | aient eu |
Further subjunctive cases - such as a pluperfect subjunctive - can theoretically be formed, though to all intents and purposes these are never used in modern French.
► Continue with the auxiliary être
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