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.
Suggested grade 5 practice, selected by skill and reading demand. US states and schools teach these topics in different grades; this is not a state-standards alignment claim. French and Spanish games are grouped by challenge level; learners can begin in any grade.
ACTFL World-Readiness Standards teaching connection: Vocabulary foundations for communication. Recognizing words and building short phrases can prepare a learner for reading and communication. Follow the game with a real exchange or a short text. Word recognition alone does not establish an ACTFL proficiency level or cover all communication modes. Read the framework.
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.
- Students write three sentences about themselves with je suis and j’ai.
- Play verb tennis: one student 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 color-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.