elle a
The English phrase "she has" is translated into French as elle a.
elle a is used to state that a female person possesses or owns something.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the third-person singular feminine pronoun elle (she) and the third-person singular conjugation of the verb avoir (to have), which is a.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb a must agree with the singular subject elle. If the subject were plural (elles), the verb would change to ont.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly add an 's' to the end of a (writing elle as) by confusing it with the English 'has' or other verb forms. However, a is the correct form for the third-person singular.
Did you know?
- While English uses 'has' to show possession, French uses the verb avoir to express age, such as saying 'she has twenty years' instead of 'she is twenty'.
- The phrase elle a is used to describe physical sensations like hunger, thirst or being cold. For example, elle a faim literally translates to 'she has hunger'.
- In some Quebecois contexts, you might encounter the eye-dialect spelling a to represent the word 'she' itself, rather than the verb 'has'.
Examples in context
- Elle a fait ça.She has done this.This sentence shows how to use elle a to describe an action performed.Tatoeba #3659975 by THURET, translation #2858500 by Amastan
- Elle a un vélo.She has a bicycle.This sentence shows how to use elle a to indicate possession of a bicycle.Tatoeba #4030181 by mouche, translation #1548366 by CM
- Elle a du lait.She has milk.This sentence shows how to use elle a to indicate possession of milk.Tatoeba #7206516 by Micsmithel, translation #5974505 by CarpeLanam
- Elle a une voitureShe has a car
- Elle a une belle maisonShe has a beautiful house
- 515 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Lucas are looking at a photo of a friend.
- EmmaRegarde, elle a un beau chapeau.Look, she has a beautiful hat.
- LucasOui, elle a beaucoup de style.Yes, she has a lot of style.
- EmmaElle a aussi une grande maison.She also has a big house.
- LucasC'est vrai, elle a de la chance.That's true, she is lucky.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, elle, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
