Review
In this lesson so far, you have reviewed subject pronouns. Let’s take some time now to review the verbs avoir, être, aller, and vouloir.
Avoir and Être
The two most important verbs you’ll learn in French are avoir and être. You already know that avoir means to have, and être means to be. But these two verbs can do so much more! Here are the present tense conjugations and some examples to refresh your memory:
|
Être |
|
|---|---|
| je suis | nous sommes |
| tu es | vous êtes |
| il/ elle/ on est | ils/ elles sont |
Le bébé est heureux.
The baby is happy.
Vous êtes de Montréal.
You all are from Montréal.
|
Avoir |
|
|---|---|
| j’ai | nous avons |
| tu as | vous avez |
| il/ elle/ on a | ils/ elles ont |
J’ai deux chiens et un
chat.
I have two dogs and a cat.
Est-ce que tu as beaucoup de
devoirs?
Do you have a lot of homework?
Click through to tabs below to review aller, vouloir and learn about Pouvoir.
Aller
Comment allez-vous? It’s one of the first phrases you use when you’re learning French. If you’re looking for a less formal version, there’s also Comment vas-tu? And if you want to get even more casual, you can simply ask Ça va? What do all these basic greetings have in common? They all use the verb aller, which means “to go.”
|
Aller |
|
|---|---|
| je vais | nous allons |
| tu vas | vous allez |
| il/ elle/ on va | ils/elles vont |
Par exemple:
Je vais en
cours.
I’m going to class.
Elle va au
Canada.
She’s going to Canada.
NOTE: In English, I’m going can be a complete sentence. But French is different. If you just say Je vais, you’ll leave your listener wondering where exactly you’re going.
Vouloir
You have also learned the verb vouloir, which means to want. It can be used to ask for something or to extend an invitation.
Il veut manger de la poutine.
He wants to eat poutine.
Veux-tu venir avec moi?
Do you want to come with me?
Here is the verb vouloir conjugated in the present tense.
| je veux | nous voulons |
| tu veux | vous voulez |
| il/ elle/ on veut | ils/ elles veulent |
Pouvoir
Are you ready to learn a new verb? Pouvoir means can or to be able to. It expresses ability or possibility, or sometimes permission or authorization. It's a common verb in French and has an irregular conjugation that looks tricky. But look more closely. Pouvoir is conjugated just like vouloir, above!
|
|
|
|---|---|
| je peux | nous pouvons |
| tu peux | vous pouvez |
| il/ elle/ on peut | ils/ elles peuvent |
Il peut manger une pizza
entière.
He can eat an entire pizza.
Pouvez-vous fermer la porte?
Can you close the door?
Pouvoir is also used in many French expressions. For example, il se peut (it could be) and peut-être (maybe), among others.
Think you got it?
Tu ______ finir ce projet. You can finish this project.
- peux
- peut
- pouvons
- puevent
Correct!
Sorry, that is not correct. peux is the correct answer.
Sorry, that is not correct. peux is the correct answer.
Sorry, that is not correct. peux is the correct answer.
Summary
Questions answered correctly:
Questions answered incorrectly:
