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Introducing yourself: être and avoir
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Two verbs do a lot of work in French: être (to be) and avoir (to have). You need both just to say who you are.
Saying who you are
Je m'appelle Sam. = My name is Sam.
J'ai quinze ans. = I am fifteen. In French you have an age, using avoir.
J'habite à Londres. = I live in London.
J'ai quinze ans. = I am fifteen. In French you have an age, using avoir.
J'habite à Londres. = I live in London.
Être: to be
Learn it by heart.
Watch out
Use avoir for age: j'ai seize ans, never je suis seize ans.
Before a vowel, je becomes j': j'ai, j'habite.
Before a vowel, je becomes j': j'ai, j'habite.
Translate: My sister is fourteen years old.
- My sister = ma sœur
- Age uses avoir: she has = elle a
- fourteen years = quatorze ans
Answer: Ma sœur a quatorze ans.
Je m'appelle for your name. Use avoir for age: j'ai quinze ans. Learn être (je suis, tu es, il est...) and avoir (j'ai, tu as, il a...).
The interactive lesson includes the diagrams for this topic.
Check you have got it
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