Italian for Beginners: Saying What You Have with avere (ho, hai, ha)
Learn to use the Italian verb avere (to have) with different subjects: ho, hai, ha, abbiamo, avete, hanno. Build simple sentences about what people own or have.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
In Italian, the verb avere means 'to have'. To say what someone has, you change the verb form to match the subject: io ho (I have), tu hai (you have), lei ha (she has), lui ha (he has). This is different from possessive adjectives like mio or tuo, which mean 'my' or 'your' and come before a noun. Here you focus on the verb itself. Italian does not use 'do' or 'does' for questions or negatives, so you will learn to form them directly. You will also see that avere is used in many everyday expressions, not only for owning things.
By the end, you can…
- use the correct present-tense form of avere for io, tu, lui, lei, noi, voi, loro.
- make simple sentences about what someone has, such as Ho una bici or Lei ha una macchina.
- ask and answer simple questions with avere, such as Hai una macchina? and form negatives with non.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Io ho una bici.
I have a bike.
EE-oh oh OO-nah BEE-chee
Use io for emphasis or contrast; in everyday speech Italians often say just Ho una bici.
Tu hai una macchina?
Do you have a car?
too eye OO-nah mahk-KEE-nah
Questions use the same word order as statements; only the intonation rises. Tu is informal singular.
Lei ha una casa grande.
She has a big house.
LAY eye OO-nah KAH-zah GRAHN-deh
Lei means 'she' and also polite 'you'. The verb form ha is the same for both.
Noi abbiamo due gatti.
We have two cats.
NOY ahb-BYAH-moh DOO-eh GAHT-tee
Abbiamo is the noi form. Use it for groups that include you.
Loro hanno una domanda.
They have a question.
LOH-roh AHN-noh OO-nah doh-MAHN-dah
Hanno has a double n and is the loro form. It is also used for mixed-gender groups.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The verb avere changes with the subject. Learn the six forms as a set: io ho, tu hai, lui/lei ha, noi abbiamo, voi avete, loro hanno. The h in ho, hai, ha, hanno is silent; it only keeps these forms distinct in writing. Examples: Io ho un libro. Tu hai una penna. Marco ha una bicicletta. Noi abbiamo una macchina. Voi avete tempo? Loro hanno fame.
When to use it
Use avere to talk about possession and also in many fixed expressions where English uses 'to be': avere fame (to be hungry), avere sete (to be thirsty), avere freddo (to be cold), avere caldo (to be hot), avere sonno (to be sleepy), avere paura (to be afraid), avere ragione (to be right). For example: Ho fame. Loro hanno freddo. To make a negative, put non before the verb: Non ho una macchina. To ask a question, keep the same order and raise your voice at the end: Hai una macchina?
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Ciao! Hai una bici?
Hi! Do you have a bike?CHOW eye OO-nah BEE-cheeSì, ho una bici rossa. E tu?
Yes, I have a red bike. And you?see oh OO-nah BEE-chee ROHS-sah eh tooIo non ho una bici, ma ho una macchina.
I don't have a bike, but I have a car.EE-oh nohn oh OO-nah BEE-chee mah oh OO-nah mahk-KEE-nahAnche mia sorella ha una macchina.
My sister also has a car.AHN-keh MEE-ah soh-REL-lah eye OO-nah mahk-KEE-nahA little context goes a long way
In standard Italian, tu is used with friends, family, and peers, while Lei is the polite form for strangers, older people, and formal situations. Both take ha in the singular: (Lei) ha una macchina? can mean 'Do you have a car?' politely. In much of southern Italy, voi is sometimes used instead of Lei for polite singular, but this is regional and less common in formal writing. Use Lei in standard polite contexts unless you know the local norm.
One thing to watch for
Saying Io sono una bici to mean 'I have a bike', or using è for possession.
Try this instead: Use avere, not essere, for possession: Io ho una bici. Essere means 'to be', so Io sono una bici means 'I am a bike'. For 'she has', say Lei ha, not Lei è.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1Complete with the correct form of avere: Noi ___ una casa.
Show a sample answer
abbiamo
Noi takes abbiamo. The full sentence is Noi abbiamo una casa. Other subjects would need different forms, such as io ho or loro hanno.
2Translate into Italian: Do you (informal) have a pen?
Show a sample answer
Hai una penna?
Use the tu form hai, keep statement order, and raise intonation. You could also say Tu hai una penna? for emphasis, but Hai una penna? is the usual form.
3Make this negative: Loro hanno fame.
Show a sample answer
Loro non hanno fame.
Put non directly before the verb hanno. The meaning becomes 'They are not hungry'. The same pattern works with other avere expressions: Non ho sete.
Learn the six present forms of avere as a set: ho, hai, ha, abbiamo, avete, hanno. Use avere for possession and for expressions like avere fame. Remember that non goes before the verb for negatives, and questions keep the same word order.
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