avoir hâte de + Infinitive

Looking Forward to with Avoir Hate De

Level 5

avoir hâte de + infinitive = "to look forward to" or "can't wait to."

How It Works

The expression avoir hâte de is the most common way to say "I'm excited to..." or "I can't wait to..." in French. Unlike the English word "excited," which can be tricky to translate, avoir hâte specifically focuses on the feeling of wanting time to move faster so an event can arrive.

1. Structure with the Same Subject:
When you are the one performing the future action, use: [Conjugated Avoir] + hâte + de + [Infinitive].

  • J'ai hâte de partir. (I can't wait to leave.)
  • Nous avons hâte de vous voir. (We look forward to seeing you.)

2. Structure with Different Subjects:
If you are looking forward to someone else doing something, the structure changes to: [Conjugated Avoir] + hâte + que + [Subjunctive].

  • J'ai hâte que tu viennes. (I can't wait for you to come.)
  • Elle a hâte qu'il fasse beau. (She can't wait for the weather to be nice.)

3. Elision:
Remember that elision occurs when de or que meets a vowel, becoming d' or qu'.

4. Nuance vs. Other Expressions:
While espérer (to hope) implies uncertainty, avoir hâte de is used for things that are already scheduled or definite. It is warmer and more common in daily speech than the formal attendre avec impatience.

5. Regional Note:
In European French, you must use a verb after de. To say "I'm looking forward to Christmas," you would say J'ai hâte d'être à Noël. However, in Quebec, it is common to use avoir hâte à followed directly by a noun (J'ai hâte à Noël).

Examples (5)

  1. J’ai hâte de te revoir après toutes ces années.

    I can’t wait to see you again after all these years.

    Word by Word: I have haste of you to see again after all these years.

    Notice the use of 'avoir' conjugated in the first person singular (J'ai).

  2. Nous avons hâte d’emménager dans notre nouvelle maison.

    We are looking forward to moving into our new house.

    Word by Word: We have haste of to move in in our new house.

    The preposition 'de' becomes 'd’' before the vowel 'e' in 'emménager'.

  3. Elle a hâte de finir ses examens pour pouvoir enfin se reposer.

    She is eager to finish her exams so she can finally rest.

    Word by Word: She has haste of to finish her exams for to be able finally herself to rest.

    This shows the expression used with a third-person subject (Elle a).

  4. J'ai hâte que tu viennes nous rendre visite.

    I can't wait for you to come visit us.

    Word by Word: I have haste that you come (subjunctive) us to give visit.

    When the subject of the anticipation is different from the subject of the action, use 'que' followed by the subjunctive.

  5. Ils ont hâte d'apprendre les résultats.

    They can't wait to find out the results.

    Word by Word: They have haste of to learn the results.

    In French, 'apprendre' is often used to mean 'finding out' or 'learning of' news.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'être' instead of 'avoir'.

    Je suis hâte de partir.
    J'ai hâte de partir.

    Like avoir faim or avoir soif, this expression uses the verb 'to have', not 'to be'.

  • Using 'je suis excité' to mean 'I am looking forward to it'.

    Je suis excité pour le concert.
    J'ai hâte d'aller au concert.

    'Je suis excité' is a false friend; it can imply sexual arousal or being over-stimulated. 'J'ai hâte' is the natural way to express excitement about a future event.

  • Using the indicative after 'hâte que'.

    J'ai hâte que tu viens.
    J'ai hâte que tu viennes.

    When using 'hâte que' to express anticipation for someone else's action, you must use the subjunctive mood.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

avoir hâte de + InfinitiveLevel 5Looking Forward to with Avoir Hate De

Learn This First

To use 'avoir hâte de', you need to know how to conjugate the irregular verb 'avoir' in the present tense and understand the structural requirement of using the preposition 'de' before a following infinitive verb.

Words in This Pattern

avoir hâte