Être and avoir
Use être for identity or description and avoir for possession and many fixed expressions.
Examples
FrenchTranslation
Nous avons un livre et il est intéressant.
We have a book and it is interesting.
Je suis fatigué aujourd’hui.
I am tired today.
Elle a une réunion ce soir.
She has a meeting this evening.
Pattern
avoir + noun / être + complement
How it works
Use être for identity or description and avoir for possession and many fixed expressions. This pattern typically appears as avoir + noun / être + complement and becomes easier when you meet it again in short, readable examples.
What to notice
- Être often describes identity, state, or location.
- Avoir also appears in many non-literal fixed expressions.
Why it matters
The first layer of agreement, identity, and existence patterns.
Use in context
These two verbs carry a huge amount of everyday beginner French.