See also:
👉 Avoir — Meaning, Pronunciation, and Examples »
👉 Avoir Conjugation Chart (with audio) »
👉 Avoir beau (in vain) — advanced C1 French expression »
This post was written by French teacher David Issokson for students learning French online. While this page itself has no audio, each linked lesson includes native pronunciation by Marie Assel Cambier, a professional voice artist from France.
Avoir means “to have” in French, but you’ll hear it in countless expressions that don’t translate literally.
An avoir expression combines the irregular verb avoir with another word to express needs, feelings, or daily situations. This page lists 30 of the most common avoir expressions every beginner should know — especially since many students mistakenly use être (to be) instead of avoir.
💡 All of the expressions with links to go full lessons with audio on this website.
Most Common French Expressions with Avoir
These are the everyday A1-A2 avoir expressions every learner needs to know. The French use them constantly in daily speech to express a wide variety of needs, feelings, and simple actions.
👉 avoir besoin de — to need
👉 avoir envie de — to want / to feel like
👉 avoir peur — to be afraid
👉 Avoir failli — to almost (do something)
👉 avoir faim — to be hungry
👉 Avoir l’habitude de — to be used to (doing something)
👉 avoir soif — to be thirsty
👉 avoir chaud — to be hot
👉 avoir froid — to be cold
👉 avoir sommeil — to be sleepy
👉 avoir mal (à la tête, etc.) — to have pain / to hurt
👉 avoir honte de — to be ashamed of
👉 avoir raison / avoir tort — to be right / to be wrong
👉 avoir de la chance — to be lucky
Common French Idioms with Avoir
These avoir idioms go beyond basics — they’re fun, colorful, expressive, and you’ll hear them often in spoken French. Learn them to sound more natural and understand native speakers in everyday conversation.
👉 avoir la langue bien pendue — to be talkative
👉 avoir un chat dans la gorge — to have a frog in one’s throat
👉 avoir la bouteille — to be experienced
👉 avoir du bol — to be lucky
👉 avoir un poil dans la main — to be lazy
👉 avoir la chair de poule — to have goosebumps
👉 avoir le couteau sous la gorge — to be under pressure
👉 avoir le vent en poupe — to be on a roll
👉 avoir la flemme — to not feel like doing anything
👉 avoir la gueule de bois — to have a hangover
👉 avoir le cafard — to feel down / depressed
👉 avoir du mal à — to have difficulty doing
👉 en avoir marre — to be fed up / sick of it
👉 avoir un petit creux — to feel a bit hungry
👉 avoir un je-ne-sais-quoi — to have that special something
👉 avoir lieu — to take place
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🧠 Ready to master avoir completely?
Review all tenses, forms, and audio examples here:
👉 Avoir Conjugation — Master the Verb “To Have” in French »
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