Aient (en. Have)

/ɛ/.

Meaning & Definition

EnglishFrench

verb

Conjugated form of the verb to have in the present subjunctive.

They must have finished before noon.

Il faut qu'ils aient terminé avant midi.

Used to express doubt, wish, or uncertainty.

I wish they have enough time to study.

Je souhaite qu'ils aient suffisamment de temps pour étudier.

Indicates a necessity or a condition.

For it to work, they must have the right information.

Pour que cela fonctionne, il faut qu'ils aient les bonnes informations.

Comes from the Latin 'habere', meaning 'to have'.

It is possible that they have

This means that there is a chance they possess or have something.

il est possible qu'ils aient

Assuming that they have

It implies a hypothetical condition under which they would have something.

en supposant qu'ils aient

I would like them to have

This expresses a desire for them to obtain or possess something.

je voudrais qu'ils aient

to have

Verb meaning to possess or to hold.

avoir

to possess

To have something in ownership or possession.

posséder

to hold

To have something under one's control.

détenir

Colloquial expression to mean that one has something.

I have friends who have everything they need, they have!

J'ai des potes qui ont tout ce qu'il faut, ils aient!

Used ironically to evoke absence.

When I ask if they have any plans, it's often 'they have nothing'.

Quand je demande s'ils ont des plans, c'est souvent 'ils aient rien'.