Chapter 5: Les Verbes Puissants (The Power Verbs)

Unlock the language with Être & Avoir. You are not just learning words now; you are operating the machinery of the language.

Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

Part 1: The Cast of Characters (Subject Pronouns)

Before we can use verbs, we need to know who is doing the action.

Person Singular (One Person) Plural (Multiple People)
1st Person (Me/Us) Je (I) Nous (We)
2nd Person (You) Tu (You - Casual)
For friends, family, kids, pets.
Vous (You - Formal/Plural)
For strangers, bosses, or groups.
3rd Person (Him/Her/Them) Il (He / It)
Elle (She / It)
On (One / We - informal)
Ils (They - Masculine/Mixed)
Elles (They - Feminine only)
Key Rule: Tu is for people you know well. Vous is for respect OR whenever talking to more than one person (like "y'all").

Part 2: The "To Be" Matrix (Être)

Use Être to describe identity, profession, nationality, or feelings.

CONJUGATION: ÊTRE
  • Je suis (I am)
  • Tu es (You are)
  • Il/Elle est (He/She is)
  • Nous sommes (We are)
  • Vous êtes (You are)
  • Ils/Elles sont (They are)
The Hook: Adjectives of Identity

Combine "Être" with these adjectives:

  • Américain / Américaine (American)
  • Fatigué / Fatiguée (Tired)
  • Heureux / Heureuse (Happy)
  • Retraité / Retraitée (Retired)

"Je suis retraité." (I am retired.)

Part 3: The "To Have" Matrix (Avoir)

Use Avoir to talk about possessions, age, and physical sensations (hunger/thirst).

CONJUGATION: AVOIR
  • J'ai (I have) *Not "Je ai"
  • Tu as (You have)
  • Il/Elle a (He/She has)
  • Nous avons (We have)
  • Vous avez (You have)
  • Ils/Elles ont (They have)
The Hook: Objects to Possess

Combine "Avoir" with these nouns:

  • Un passeport (A passport)
  • Une voiture (A car)
  • Une réservation (A reservation)
  • Un chat / Un chien (A cat / A dog)

"Nous avons une réservation." (We have a reservation.)

Part 4: The Sentence Builder

Click one item from each column to build a sentence. If it's grammatically correct, you get the green light!

1. Subject
2. Verb
3. Ending
...
Select one option from each column.

Part 5: Active Recall Challenge

Prove you know your verbs. Fill in the blank with the correct form of être or avoir.


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