français · A2 · verb · 4 minutes
Avoir in the passé composé
Combine the auxiliary avoir with the past participle eu.
Understand the choice
Although avons eu looks repetitive on paper, each part has a separate job: avons marks the subject and tense frame, while eu carries the lexical meaning “had.” This form is common for events, experiences, and symptoms.
Core rule: The passé composé of avoir repeats present avoir as auxiliary and adds the past participle eu.
Notice it in context
Nous avons eu un problème avec la réservation.
We had a problem with the booking.
Avons is the first-person plural auxiliary; eu is the same for every subject.
Elle a eu de la chance.
She was lucky.
French says avoir de la chance; a eu places that experience in the past.
Vous avez eu mal à la tête ?
Did you have a headache?
Avez eu combines with the fixed expression avoir mal à.
What to remember
- Eu is pronounced as a single French vowel and never agrees here.
- Many English “was” expressions use avoir in French: avoir faim, avoir peur, avoir de la chance.
Common trap: Do not replace eu with été because English says “was lucky.” French keeps its own avoir expression: elle a eu de la chance.