– “He’s scared of water.” The Avoir Conjugation in the Passé Composé Here they are: Singularīelow you can find some examples of how to use avoir in this tense with the expression avoir peur (“to be scared”): The forms of avoir in the present tense ( le présent) are the first ones you should learn.

The Avoir Conjugation in the Present Tense The tenses and moods in this article are paired in a way that helps you notice patterns and remember the avoir conjugation more easily. You can find out more about when you should use être instead in this article. Avoir is your go to verb used in the majority of cases. Your choice of an auxiliary verb is between avoir and être (“to be”). There are two verbs: the auxiliary avoir and prendre.

– “I had (literally: took) my breakfast on the terrace yesterday.” Hier, j’ ai pris mon petit déjeuner sur la terrasse. There’s only one verb: the correct form of the verb prendre (“to take”).

– “I have (literally: take) my breakfast on the terrace.” Je prends mon petit déjeuner sur la terrasse. Think about an auxiliary as a “helping” verb that accompanies the main verb. Oh dear, grammar jargon alert! A compound tense requires the use of an auxiliary verb and a main verb (= the verb you actually want to use) in the right form. This verb is crucial not only because of its meaning, but also its other uses as an auxiliary verb in compound tenses. Why Is Knowing the Avoir Conjugation Important? The basic avoir meaning in English is “to have” but it can be different, depending on the context in which it’s used. While there’s a number of regular conjugation patterns that can help you tremendously with this process, the avoir conjugation is irregular and you’ll have to learn it by heart. Mastering the French verb conjugation can be quite a challenge for a language learner.

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