3 Have you?

Have you a ... ?

The indefinite articles ("a" in English) are un for masculine, une for feminine and des for plural in French.

Try asking these "Do you have a ... ?" questions:

• Vous avez un verre? *
• Vous avez des bananes?
• Vous avez une bouteille?
• Vous avez une brosse?
• Vous avez un chemisier?
• Vous avez un emploi?
• Vous avez un lapin?
• Vous avez une lapine?
• Vous avez des livres?

* While consonants at the end of words are usually silent, they are sometimes sounded when the next word begins with a vowel. This always happens when a verb beginning with a vowel follows the pronoun vous, as is the case here. The "s" is pronounced with a "z" sound. Notice also in the pronunciation of avez that the ending ez in avez, is pronounced as a long vowel sound, and the z, as usual, is not pronounced.

You can answer like this:

• Oui, j'ai un verre. Yes, I have a glass. (The word for "I" in French is je. Before a vowel or a "mute h" it becomes j'. To say "I have" you say j'ai.)
• Non, je n'ai pas un verre. No, I do not have a glass. (To say "I do not have", you say je n'ai pas. A verb becomes negative by placing ne ... pas around it. Before a vowel or a "mute h" ne becomes n'.)

Have you some/any ... ?

There are four forms of the expression "some/any" in French. French does not distinguish between "some" and "any".

• du - for a masculine noun
• de la - for a feminine noun
• de l' - for a masculine or feminine noun beginning with a vowel or a mute h
• des - for any plural noun

Try asking these "Do you have some/any ... ?" questions:

• Vous avez du lait?
• Vous avez du beurre?
• Vous avez des légumes?
• Vous avez de l'eau?
• Vous avez du pain?
• Vous avez du vin?
• Vous avez de la salade?

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