The Verb "Avere" (To Have) in Italian

Overview

Avere (to have) is one of the two most important verbs in Italian, alongside essere (to be). It is an irregular verb that you will use constantly — both as a main verb expressing possession and as an auxiliary verb to form compound tenses like the passato prossimo (present perfect).

What makes avere especially interesting for English speakers is its role in idiomatic expressions. Italian uses "to have" where English uses "to be" for many physical and emotional states: ho fame (I'm hungry, literally "I have hunger"), ho freddo (I'm cold, literally "I have cold"), ho paura (I'm afraid, literally "I have fear"). Mastering these expressions is essential for sounding natural in Italian.

Because avere is irregular, its conjugation does not follow the standard -ere verb patterns. The forms must be memorized individually. The good news is that you will encounter avere so frequently that it becomes second nature very quickly.

How It Works

Present Tense Conjugation

Person	Italian	English
io	ho	I have
tu	hai	you have
lui / lei / Lei	ha	he / she has, you have (formal)
noi	abbiamo	we have
voi	avete	you all have
loro	hanno	they have

Note: The "h" in ho, hai, ha, and hanno is silent. It exists only in writing to distinguish these verb forms from other words: o (or), ai (to the), a (to/at), anno (year).

Idiomatic Expressions with "Avere"

Italian uses avere + noun where English typically uses "to be" + adjective.

Italian	Literal Translation	English Meaning
avere fame	to have hunger	to be hungry
avere sete	to have thirst	to be thirsty
avere freddo	to have cold	to be cold
avere caldo	to have heat	to be hot
avere sonno	to have sleepiness	to be sleepy
avere ragione	to have reason	to be right
avere torto	to have wrong	to be wrong
avere paura	to have fear	to be afraid
avere fretta	to have hurry	to be in a hurry
avere bisogno di	to have need of	to need
avere voglia di	to have desire for	to feel like (doing something)

Expressing Age

Italian uses avere to express age, not essere:

• Quanti anni hai? — How old are you? (literally: "How many years do you have?")
• Ho venticinque anni. — I am twenty-five years old.

Examples in Context

Italian	English	Note
Ho fame.	I'm hungry.	Idiomatic: avere + fame
Quanti anni hai?	How old are you?	Age uses avere, not essere
Abbiamo bisogno di aiuto.	We need help.	avere bisogno di + noun
Hanno ragione.	They are right.	Idiomatic: avere + ragione
Hai un fratello?	Do you have a brother?	Possession
Non ho tempo.	I don't have time.	Negation with non
Avete freddo?	Are you all cold?	Idiomatic: avere + freddo
Lei ha paura dei ragni.	She is afraid of spiders.	avere paura di + noun
Ho voglia di un gelato.	I feel like having an ice cream.	avere voglia di + noun
Abbiamo un cane e due gatti.	We have a dog and two cats.	Possession
Hai sonno? — Sì, ho molto sonno.	Are you sleepy? — Yes, I'm very sleepy.	Uses molto, not "molto/a"
Ho venticinque anni.	I am twenty-five years old.	Age expression
Ha fretta, deve andare.	He is in a hurry, he has to go.	Idiomatic: avere + fretta

Common Mistakes

Forgetting the silent "h"

• Wrong: Io o un cane.
• Right: Io ho un cane.
• Why: Without the "h," o means "or." The "h" is silent but essential in writing: ho, hai, ha, hanno.

Using "essere" instead of "avere" for states

• Wrong: Sono fame. / Sono freddo.
• Right: Ho fame. / Ho freddo.
• Why: Italian uses "to have" (avere) for hunger, thirst, cold, heat, fear, and age — not "to be" (essere). This is a direct translation trap for English speakers.

Using "essere" for age

• Wrong: Sono venticinque anni.
• Right: Ho venticinque anni.
• Why: In Italian, you "have" years, you don't "are" years. Always use avere + number + anni.

Confusing "hanno" and "anno"

• Wrong: Loro anno due figli.
• Right: Loro hanno due figli.
• Why: Anno (one "n") means "year." Hanno (double "n") means "they have." The "h" at the start distinguishes the verb.

Forgetting "di" in expressions that require it

• Wrong: Ho bisogno aiuto.
• Right: Ho bisogno di aiuto.
• Why: The expressions avere bisogno di and avere voglia di require the preposition di before the following noun or infinitive.

Practice Tips

1. Drill the conjugation daily. Write out ho, hai, ha, abbiamo, avete, hanno from memory until it becomes automatic. Then practice in short sentences: Ho un libro, hai una penna, ha un gatto...
2. Make flashcards for idiomatic expressions. On one side write "I'm hungry" and on the other write Ho fame — not Sono fame. This retrains your brain to associate physical states with avere instead of essere.
3. Practice age conversations. Ask and answer age questions: Quanti anni hai? Ho ... anni. Quanti anni ha tuo fratello? Ha ... anni. This reinforces both the conjugation and the avere-for-age pattern.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Subject Pronouns — you need to know the pronouns to conjugate avere
• Next steps: Present Perfect — avere is used as an auxiliary verb to form this tense