icon-background-square
New
New
Year 4

Age: 'avoir' meaning 'be'

Learning outcomes

I can use 'avoir' and numbers 1-12 to ask and answer questions about age.

I can use my knowledge of silent final consonants and liaison to say numbers and ages correctly.

icon-background-square
New
New
Year 4

Age: 'avoir' meaning 'be'

Learning outcomes

I can use 'avoir' and numbers 1-12 to ask and answer questions about age.

I can use my knowledge of silent final consonants and liaison to say numbers and ages correctly.

warning

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.

Lesson details

Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons

Key learning points

  1. Some numbers are exceptions to the SFC rule and do not have silent final consonants, e.g. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.
  2. When numbers 2, 3, 6, 10 are followed by a noun beginning with a vowel, the -s and -x are pronounced; this is liaison.
  3. Avoir means 'to have, having'; it can also be translated into English as ‘to be, being’ with certain expressions.
  4. Avoir is also used for age, e.g. ‘j’ai quatre ans’, I am four years old.

Keywords

  • SFC - silent final consonant, silent letter (d, s, t, x) at the end of a word

  • Liaison - pronouncing a usually silent final consonant when followed by a vowel, e.g. dix ans

  • Avoir - French verb meaning ‘avoir’ which can also be translated as 'to be' with certain set expressions (e.g. 'j'ai neuf ans' - I am nine years old)

Common misconception

You use the verb 'être' in French to say your age, as you use the verb 'to be' in English.

In French you 'are' not an age, you 'have' an age. Use the verb 'avoir': j'ai neuf ans.


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

Sing the age chant again at the end of the lesson and at the start of the next lesson for further practice of asking and saying your age in French.
speech-bubble
Teacher tip
equipment-required

Equipment

copyright

Licence

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

Loading...

Some of our videos, including non-English language videos, do not have captions.

6 Questions

Q1.
Match the French and the English.
Correct Answer:j'ai,I have
tick

I have

Correct Answer:tu as,you have
tick

you have

Correct Answer:il a,he has
tick

he has

Correct Answer:elle a,she has
tick

she has

Q2.
Which of the following expressions are not translated as 'to have' in English?
avoir un chien
Correct answer: avoir faim
avoir une maison
Correct answer: avoir tort
Correct answer: avoir raison
Q3.
Choose the correct expression to match the picture.
An image in a quiz
J'ai faim.
Correct answer: J'ai soif.
J'ai raison.
J'ai tort.
J'ai neuf ans.
Q4.
Complete the sentence. J'ai ans.
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: cinq
Q5.
Translate: She is hungry.
Correct Answer: Elle a faim.
Q6.
Translate: He is ten years old.
Correct Answer: Il a dix ans.

6 Questions

Q1.
Which numbers end in a SFC?
Correct answer: deux
Correct answer: trois
quatre
cinq
Correct answer: six
Q2.
Which of the following have a liaison?
Correct answer: J'ai trois ans.
J'ai quatre ans.
Correct answer: J'ai dix ans.
J'ai onze ans.
Q3.
In which of the following are the verbs not translated as 'to have'?
Correct answer: Avoir sept ans.
Correct answer: Avoir tort.
Avoir une amie.
Correct answer: Avoir soif.
Avoir un chat.
Q4.
Which of the following expressions best matches the picture?
An image in a quiz
J'ai faim.
J'ai tort.
Correct answer: J'ai raison.
J'ai soif.
J'ai huit ans.
Q5.
Which of the following questions means 'how old are you'?
C'est quand to anniversaire ?
C'est quoi ?
Tu as une gomme ?
Correct answer: Quel âge as-tu ?
Q6.
Translate: He is five years old.
Correct Answer: Il a cinq ans.

Additional material

Download additional material