avere
Present Tense of 'Avere'
avere (to have) is an irregular verb. It is used for ownership (ho un cane), age (ho vent'anni), and physical states (ho fame).
How It Works
The verb avere is one of the most important verbs in Italian. It functions in three main ways:
1. Possession: Just like in English, it shows ownership.
Io ho una macchina. (I have a car).
2. Age: Unlike English, Italian uses 'to have' for age.
Quanti anni hai? (How many years do you have? / How old are you?).
3. Physical/Emotional States: Italian uses avere for sensations where English uses 'to be'. Common expressions include:
- avere fame (to be hungry)
- avere sete (to be thirsty)
- avere freddo/caldo (to be cold/hot)
- avere ragione (to be right)
- avere paura (to be afraid)
Conjugation of Avere:
- io ho (I have)
- tu hai (you have)
- lui/lei ha (he/she has)
- noi abbiamo (we have)
- voi avete (you all have)
- loro hanno (they have)
The Silent 'H': The 'h' in ho, hai, ha, and hanno is purely visual (diacritical). It helps you distinguish the verb from homophones (words that sound the same) in writing:
- ho (I have) vs. o (or)
- hai (you have) vs. ai (to the)
- ha (he/she has) vs. a (to/at)
- hanno (they have) vs. anno (year)
Note that abbiamo and avete are the only forms that do not use the silent 'h'.
Finally, avere is the primary auxiliary verb used to form the passato prossimo (past tense) for most verbs.
Examples (5)
- Io ho due fratelli e una sorella.
I have two brothers and one sister.
Word by Word: I have two brothers and one sister.
This shows the most basic use of 'avere' for family relationships and possession.
- Quanti anni hai? Ho vent'anni.
How old are you? I am twenty years old.
Word by Word: How many years have you? I have twenty years.
In Italian, you 'have' years rather than 'being' an age.
- Noi abbiamo molta fame, andiamo a mangiare?
We are very hungry, shall we go eat?
Word by Word: We have much hunger, go we to eat?
Physical sensations like hunger (fame) always use 'avere'.
- Loro hanno una casa bellissima in Toscana.
They have a very beautiful house in Tuscany.
Word by Word: They have a house very beautiful in Tuscany.
Note the silent 'h' in 'hanno' and the use for material possession.
- Hai ragione, il film è molto interessante.
You are right, the movie is very interesting.
Word by Word: You have reason, the movie is very interesting.
The expression 'avere ragione' means 'to be right'.
Common Mistakes
Using 'essere' (to be) for age.
Io sono venti anni.Io ho venti anni.English speakers often translate 'I am 20' literally. In Italian, you must use 'avere' for age.
Leaving out the silent 'h' in writing.
Io o fame.Io ho fame.The 'h' in 'ho' is never pronounced, but it must be written. Without it, 'o' is the word for 'or'.
Confusing 'ha' (verb) with 'a' (preposition) in writing.
Lui a un cane.Lui ha un cane.Always include the 'h' when you mean 'has'. Without the 'h', 'a' means 'to' or 'at'.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To learn the present tense of 'avere', you primarily need to know the subject pronouns to correctly map the irregular conjugations to the person performing the action.
Related Patterns
- essere (presente)Present Tense of 'Essere'
'Essere' and 'avere' are the two most important irregular verbs and both serve as auxiliary verbs.
Level 1 - quanti anni haiAge Expressions
This specific pattern focuses on using 'avere' to ask and state age.
Level 1 - avere + Past ParticiplePresent Perfect with 'Avere'
'Avere' is used as a building block to form the past tense of most Italian verbs.
Level 2 - Elision
Because the 'h' is silent, 'avere' forms behave like they start with a vowel, often triggering elision (e.g., l'ho).
Level 1
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Sources
Practice avere in Bubblegum
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