J'avais (en. I had)

/ʒavɛ/

Meaning & Definition

EnglishFrench

verb

Indicates possession or a past state.

When I was five years old, I dreamed of being an astronaut.

Quand j'avais cinq ans, je rêvais d'être astronaute.

Used to express a habit or a past state.

Previously, I had time to read every day.

Avant, j'avais le temps de lire tous les jours.

Can also be used to express a condition in the past.

If I had known, I wouldn’t have come.

Si j'avais su, je ne serais pas venu.

From Old French 'avoir', of Latin origin 'habere'.

I needed

indicates a past necessity.

j'avais besoin de

I wanted

expresses a past desire.

j'avais envie de

I was afraid of

indicates a fear in the past.

j'avais peur de

to have

verb meaning to possess.

avoir

had

conjugated form of 'to have' in the third person singular of the imperfect tense.

avait

will have

conjugated form of 'to have' in the first person of the future tense.

aurai

In informal language, it can mean 'I possessed or I had'.

Back then, I had a scooter.

À l'époque, j'avais un scooter.

Can also be used to express past actions informally.

I had been partying all weekend.

J'avais fait la fête tout le week-end.