Être and avoir: to be and to have in French: what children learn
Être (to be) and avoir (to have) are the two most important verbs in French. Children use them to describe themselves and others (je suis grand, I am tall; j’ai les yeux bleus, I have blue eyes) and to say their age, which in French uses avoir: j’ai dix ans, literally “I have ten years”. Both verbs are irregular, so each form has to be learned.
The National Curriculum asks Key Stage 2 pupils to understand the conjugation of high-frequency verbs and how French differs from English. This game names the verb and the person (je, tu, il, elle, nous, vous, ils) and asks for the right form, then checks meanings and the age pattern. Every question has exactly one correct form.
This topic covers a Key Stage 2 statutory requirement in the National Curriculum in England (Subject content): pupils should be taught to “understand basic grammar appropriate to the language being studied, including (where relevant): feminine, masculine and neuter forms and the conjugation of high-frequency verbs; key features and patterns of the language; how to apply these, for instance, to build sentences; and how these differ from or are similar to English”. The programme of study sets this for the whole of Key Stage 2, so schools choose when to teach it; we have placed this game in Year 6 (ages 10–11). This game covers the conjugation of two high-frequency verbs, être and avoir.
There is no direct equivalent in the US Common Core State Standards.
How to play
Answer 10 questions before the clock runs out. Tap an answer, or press 1 to 4. Each game has 10 multiple-choice questions and a 150-second timer. A wrong answer shows the correct one before moving on. You earn up to three stars depending on your score.
Step by step
- Learn être as a chant. Je suis, tu es, il est, elle est, nous sommes, vous êtes, ils sont.
- Learn avoir as a chant. J’ai, tu as, il a, elle a, nous avons, vous avez, ils ont.
- Notice j’. Je becomes j’ before a vowel: j’ai, not je ai.
- Use avoir for age. J’ai neuf ans: I am nine (I have nine years).
- Describe people. Être for what someone is like (il est drôle), avoir for what they have (elle a les cheveux longs).
Worked examples
Example 1: Which form of être goes with nous?
Working: Chant the verb: je suis, tu es, il est, nous…
Answer: Sommes.
Example 2: What does j’ai dix ans mean?
Working: French uses avoir (to have) for age.
Answer: I am ten years old.
Example 3: Which form of avoir goes with ils?
Working: Ils is “they”. The form ends in -ont.
Answer: Ont.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
- Saying je suis dix ans. Age uses avoir in French: j’ai dix ans.
- Mixing up ils sont and ils ont. Sont (are) has an s; ont (have) does not. Say them aloud: the s makes a difference.
- Writing je ai. Je shortens to j’ before a vowel: j’ai.
Activities to try at home
- Chant être and avoir in the car or on the way to school.
- Describe family members in French: il est grand, elle a les yeux verts.
- Say everyone’s age in French using j’ai … ans.
- Print the game sheet and play it together.
Ideas for the classroom
- Clap-and-chant the verbs as a warm-up.
- Pupils write three sentences about themselves with je suis and j’ai.
- Play verb tennis: one pupil says a pronoun, the other answers with the verb form.
- Use the quiz as a starter.
Free printable game and worksheet
The free printable starts with a game sheet, such as a colour-by-answer picture, an answer maze or a secret-code joke, followed by a worksheet. Both use the same checked questions as the online game, and the answers are on the last page. Print it, or save it as a PDF from your browser’s print menu.
Open the free printable game and worksheet
Frequently asked questions
Why does French use avoir for age?
It is a pattern of the language: French says “I have ten years”. Noticing differences like this is part of the curriculum.
What does vous mean?
Vous is “you” when talking to more than one person, or politely to one adult.
Does the game include elles?
Elles (they, for a group of females) uses the same forms as ils: elles sont, elles ont. The game uses ils to keep it simple.