I'm sick! 'Avoir' meaning 'be'
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can use 'avoir' with nouns to say how I am feeling and what hurts.
Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons
Key learning points
- Many French word-final consonants are silent; words ending in -c, -r, -f and -l may be exceptions, e.g. 'mal', 'peur'.
- 'Être' means to be. 'Avoir' means to have.
- 'Avoir' can sometimes be translated as 'to be, being', with certain expressions, e.g. 'j'ai chaud', I am hot.
- 'Avoir mal' means 'to be in pain' or 'to be sick'.
- With a part of the body 'avoir mal' means that something hurts, e.g. 'j'ai mal à la tête', my head hurts.
Keywords
SFC - silent final consonant, silent letter (d, s, t, x) at the end of a word
Avoir - French verb meaning 'to have, having'
Être - French verb meaning 'to be, being'
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'.
Certain expressions that use 'to be' in English, such as 'I am cold', actually 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.
Teacher tip
To further practise 'j'ai mal à ...', you may wish to play a game of charades with pupils to guess which body part 'is hurting'.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which words have a silent final consonant (SFC)?
Q2.Which phrase means 'I am hungry'?
Q3.Match the French adjectives to the English.
kind
sad
happy
serious
content
practical
Q4.Translate the French into English: 'Tu as les yeux verts'.
Q5.Match the French phrases to their English meaning:
She is thirsty.
I am scared, frightened.
You are cold.
He is hot.
I don't feel well, I am in pain.
You are right, correct.
Q6.Match the French body parts to their English meaning.
nose
mouth
eyes
foot
head
ear
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the French to the English.
I have a headache.
I have a sore foot.
You have earache.
He is cold.
She is hot.
He has a sore mouth.
Q2.Complete the following sentence: 'Aujourd'hui ma famille a mal. Moi, __________ chaud et ma soeur, __________ froid.'
Q3.In which words would you pronounce the final consonant?
Q4.Write in French: 'my friend (m) is very serious'.
Q5.Order the words to say: 'I am hot but my brother is cold'.
Q6.What is the plural form of 'oeil' (eye) in French?
To help you plan your 4 French lesson on: I'm sick! 'Avoir' meaning 'be', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 4 French lesson on: I'm sick! 'Avoir' meaning 'be', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 2 French lessons from the Introductions: singular 'être', 'avoir', and regular adjectives unit, dive into the full primary French curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.