j'avais
In French, "I had" is expressed as j'avais.
The phrase is used to describe something a person possessed in the past. Depending on the context of what you "had", other phrases may be more precise: use J'ai pris when referring to meals or drinks, j'ai consommé to express having or consuming something, j'ai vécu to say you experienced something or J'ai eu l'occasion de to say you had the opportunity to.
What does it mean word for word?
j'avais is a contraction of je, meaning "I" and avais, meaning "had".
Which one should you use?
There is a distinction between the forms used for different types of past events. Use j'avais to describe background settings or continuous states, such as "I had a dog". In contrast, j'ai eu is used for specific, completed events or sudden occurrences, such as "I had an accident".
How does it change in a sentence?
The form j'avais is the imperfect tense, which is used for ongoing states or repeated actions in the past.
Did you know?
- While English speakers say 'I was hungry', French speakers use j'avais faim, which literally means 'I had hunger'.
- In French, the phrase j'avais can be used to describe an age you once were, such as j'avais dix ans for 'I was ten years old'.
- In French, you rarely use the verb 'to have' to describe experiencing something. While an English speaker says 'I had a great time', a French speaker is more likely to say j'ai passé un bon moment, literally 'I passed a good moment'.
Examples in context
- J'avais de la fièvre.I had a fever.This sentence is useful for describing a physical state with j'avais.Tatoeba #4874886 by Aiji, translation #9105295 by Lebensfreude
- J'avais un bon boulot.I had a good job.This sentence is useful for describing a possession or situation with j'avais.Tatoeba #6668583 by Aiji, translation #5852745 by CK
- J'avais mieux à faire.I had better things to do.This sentence is useful for expressing a preference or state of mind with j'avais.Tatoeba #10492959 by lbdx, translation #6268061 by CK
- J'ai eu une réunion ce matin.I had a meeting this morning.
- J'ai pris un café ce matin.I had a coffee this morning.
- J'ai eu une super soirée hier soir.I had a great evening yesterday.
- J'ai eu l'occasion de visiter la France l'été dernier.I had the opportunity to visit France last summer.
- 410 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Gabriel are talking about their childhood pets.
- EmmaJ'avais un petit chien quand j'étais enfant.I had a little dog when I was a child.
- GabrielC'est mignon ! Quel était son nom ?That's cute! What was his name?
- EmmaIl s'appelait Max et j'avais beaucoup d'affection pour lui.His name was Max and I had a lot of affection for him.
- GabrielMoi, je n'avais pas d'animaux.Me, I didn't have any pets.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
