Avait-elle (en. Had she)

/avɛt ɛl/

Meaning & Definition

EnglishFrench

verb

Used to ask if a person owned something in the past.

Did she have a pet?

Avait-elle un animal de compagnie ?

Form used to inquire about a past situation.

Had she ever visited Paris?

Avait-elle déjà visité Paris ?

Formed from the verb 'to have' in the past perfect, conjugated with the subject pronoun 'she'.

did she want

Asking if she had a desire for something.

avait-elle envie

was she afraid

Asking if she was scared at any point.

avait-elle peur

was she right

Asking if she was right in a past situation.

avait-elle raison

to have

Verb meaning to possess or to be in a state.

avoir

she

Feminine personal pronoun third person singular.

elle

had

Third person singular of the imperfect tense of the verb to have.

avait

To take stock of the past.

When one says 'Had she had a chance?', it means that one is evaluating her opportunities.

Quand on dit 'Avait-elle eu une chance ?', ça veut dire qu'on évalue ses opportunités.

To imply regrets.

If someone asks 'Had she done something?', it may imply that there is a regret.

Si quelqu’un demande 'Avait-elle fait quelque chose ?', cela peut sous-entendre qu’il y a un regret.