avoir hâte
To look forward in French is translated as avoir hâte.
The phrase is used to express that you are excited or eager about something that will happen in the future.
Which one should you use?
While avoir hâte expresses excitement and being eager, the formal construction se réjouir de is used for a more formal sense of looking forward to something.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase avoir hâte is typically followed by the preposition de when it is followed by a noun or a verb. To say you look forward to doing a specific action, use the structure avoir hâte de followed by the infinitive form of the verb.
Did you know?
- The word hâte comes from the Frankish word *hai(f)st, showing that this expression of eagerness was influenced by ancient Germanic languages rather than just Latin.
- In formal French correspondence, you will rarely see avoir hâte. Instead, writers use complex formulas like dans l'attente de to express that they are waiting for a reply.
- While avoir hâte expresses eager anticipation, the word hâte can also mean 'haste' or 'hurry', as seen in the expression à la hâte which means doing something in a rush.
Examples in context
- J'attends avec impatience la réunion de demain.I look forward to tomorrow's meeting.
- J'ai hâte de participer à votre événement.I look forward to attending your event.
- Je me réjouis de travailler avec vous prochainement.I look forward to working with you soon.
- J'ai trop envie de te voir ce soir !I really look forward to seeing you tonight!
- Je suis impatient(e) de rencontrer tes amis.I look forward to meeting your friends.
- Je suis vraiment emballé(e) par notre voyage à Paris !I'm really looking forward to our trip to Paris!
- J'ai hâte de te voir.I look forward to seeing you.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries avoir, hâte, CC BY-SA 4.0.
