Some expressions in French do not make sense if literally translated into English. In this section, we will learn some expressions using “avoir” (to have) and “faire” (to do or to make) that are common in French.
Expressions using “Avoir”
In addition to the obvious use of “avoir” to indicate possession, e.g., “J’ai deux chats” (I have two cats), there are some less obvious uses of the verb “avoir” in French.
Age
In English, we use the verb “to be” to describe age, as in “how old are you?” and “I am 30 years old.” In French, the verb “avoir” is used instead; that is, we literally say, “I have 30 years old” rather than, “I am 30 years old.”
Here are a few more examples:
| Quel âge as-tu? | How old are you? |
| J’ai 40 ans. | I am 40 years old. |
| Il a 20 ans. | He is 20 years old. |
Feelings & Desires
Some expressions in French describe a feeling or desire using the verb “avoir,” while their equivalents in English use the verb “to be,” e.g., “J’ai peur” (I am afraid). The word “peur” means “fear.” Thus, we literally say, “I have fear.” Some other examples include:
| avoir faim | to be hungry | avoir soif | to be thirsty |
| avoir froid | to be cold | avoir chaud | to be hot |
| avoir sommeil | to be sleepy | avoir peur | to be afraid |
Other Idioms
Finally, there are many other idioms and expressions that use the verb “avoir,” such as:
| avoir raison | to be right | avoir tort | to be wrong |
| avoir du succès | to be successful | avoir lieu | to take place |
| avoir mal à | to have pain in | avoir de la chance | to be lucky |
| avoir la parole | to have the floor | avoir besoin de | to need |
| avoir envie de | to feel like | avoir un fou rire | to giggle |
| avoir horreur de | to hate something | avoir l’air | to look like |
| avoir du charme | to be charming | avoir honte de | to be ashamed of |
| avoir le coup de foudre | to fall in love at first sight | avoir l’habitude de | to be used to |
Expressions using “Faire”
There are many expressions that use the verb “faire” (to do or to make) in French, when similar expressions in English would not. We have encountered the verb “faire” used with weather expressions in Level III, Lesson 6, e.g., “Il fait froid” (It is cold).
Let us examine some other expressions that use the verb “faire.”
Sports & Hobbies
In general, we use the verb “faire” when referring to sports and hobbies. Here are some examples:
| faire du sport | to play sports | faire de la gym | to go to the gym |
| faire du surf | to do surfing | faire une promenade | to take a walk |
| faire du vélo | to go cycling | faire du snowboard | to snowboard |
House Chores & Daily Tasks
The verb “faire” is also used with many house chores and day-to-day tasks. Examples include:
| faire des devoirs | to do homework | faire la lessive | to do laundry |
| faire le lit | to make the bed | faire le plein | to fill up on gas |
| faire les courses | to buy groceries | faire les magasins | to go shopping |
| faire le ménage | to do the chores | faire le ménage | to do the cleaning |
Causative Expressions
The verb “faire” can be used in many causative expressions meaning “to have someone do something.” For example:
| Il me fait voir la différence. | He makes me see the difference. |
| Je lui fais écrire pour moi. | I have him write for me. |
Other Idioms
There are many other idioms and expressions that use the verb “faire” that do not fall under any of the aforementioned categories, such as:
| faire la queue | to wait in line | Ça ne fait rien. | It doesn’t matter. |
| faire mal | to hurt or to be painful | faire une pause | to take a break |
| faire une sieste | to take a nap | faire soi-même | DIY |
| faire attention | to pay attention | faire des économies | to save money |
| faire la grasse matinée | to sleep in | faire la sourde oreille | to turn a deaf ear |
| faire la fête | to party | faire la tête | to be in a bad mood |
| faire la manche | to beg | faire des cauchemars | to have nightmares |
Next: Present Subjunctive Tense I
Other lessons in Level IV:
