New
New
Year 4

How are you today? 'Avoir' meaning 'be'

Learning outcomes

I can understand 'avoir' with nouns to mean how people are feeling.

I can recognise and pronounce the key sounds [j] and soft [g].

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New
New
Year 4

How are you today? 'Avoir' meaning 'be'

Learning outcomes

I can understand 'avoir' with nouns to mean how people are feeling.

I can recognise and pronounce the key sounds [j] and soft [g].

Link copied to clipboard

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Lesson details

Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons

Key learning points

  1. The sound-symbol correspondences [j] and soft [g] sound the same, as in 'aujourd'hui', today, and 'courageux', brave.
  2. 'Ça va' can be both a question: 'Is it going ok?' or 'how’s it going'? and an answer: 'it's going ok' or 'I'm ok'.
  3. Avoir means 'to have'. It can be translated as 'to be, being' with certain expressions e.g. 'j'ai chaud', I am hot.

Keywords

  • [j/soft g] - sound-symbol-correspondence (SSC) pronounced as in 'jour'

  • Avoir - French verb meaning 'to have, having' which can also be translated as 'to be, being' with certain set expressions, e.g. 'avoir froid' - to be cold

Common misconception

Expressions such as 'I am cold' must use the verb 'être' (to be) when translated into French, as in English. The verb 'avoir' can only be translated as 'to have'.

Set expressions that use 'to be' in English, such as 'I am cold', use the verb 'avoir' in French: J'ai froid. 'Avoir' means 'to have' but it can also be translated as 'to be' with set expressions.


To help you plan your year 4 french lesson on: How are you today? 'Avoir' meaning 'be', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Use body language and actions to support the learning of the key expressions: j'ai froid, j'ai chaud, j'ai mal, j'ai peur. Play a game of 'charades' with the class to further practise the vocabulary. Your pupils might want to know that the avoir song uses a famous tune from Bizet's opera Carmen.
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Equipment

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This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match the French and the English.
Correct Answer:être,to be

to be

Correct Answer:je suis,I am

I am

Correct Answer:tu es,you are

you are

Correct Answer:il est,he is

he is

Correct Answer:elle est,she is

she is

Q2.
Match the French and the English.
Correct Answer:avoir,to have

to have

Correct Answer:j'ai,I have

I have

Correct Answer:tu as,you have

you have

Correct Answer:il a,he has

he has

Correct Answer:elle a,she has

she has

Q3.
Which questions means 'how are you?' in French?
Quel âge as-tu ?
Correct answer: Ça va ?
Il y a combien de chats ?
C'est quoi ?
Q4.
How is Clémentine feeling?
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: Ça va bien.
Ça va.
Ça va mal.
Q5.
Which of the following statements can be translated as 'I am'?
J'ai un chat.
Correct answer: J'ai faim.
Correct answer: J'ai neuf ans.
J'ai une amie.
Correct answer: J'ai soif.
Q6.
Translate: He is thirsty.
Correct Answer: Il a soif.

6 Questions

Q1.
Which of the following words make a soft [g] sound?
Correct answer: rouge
gomme
grand
Correct answer: girafe
Correct answer: gymnastique
Q2.
Which letters follow the soft [g] sound?
a
Correct answer: e
Correct answer: i
o
Correct answer: y
Q3.
How is Pierre feeling?
An image in a quiz
Ça va bien.
Ça va.
Correct answer: Ça va mal.
Q4.
Match the French and English nouns.
Correct Answer:froid,cold

cold

Correct Answer:chaud,heat

heat

Correct Answer:peur,fear

fear

Correct Answer:mal,pain

pain

Q5.
Translate: J'ai froid.
Correct Answer: I am cold.
Q6.
Translate: I am scared.
Correct Answer: J'ai peur

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