avoir envie

French

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /a.vwa.ʁ‿ɑ̃.vi/

Verb

avoir envie

  1. (transitive with de) to want; to desire (sexually)
    Est-ce que tu as envie de fraises, par hasard ? ― Would you like some strawberries, by any chance?
    J'ai envie de toi. ― I want you.
  2. (transitive with de) to feel like, to want to
    J'ai envie de baiser. ― I wanna fuck.
    Je n'ai pas envie de danser. ― I don't feel like dancing.
  3. (transitive with de) to feel an urge to
    J'ai envie de vomir. ― I wanna puke.
    J'ai envie de chier. ― I gotta take a shit.

Usage notes

Even though envie is a noun, it can take an adverb: j'en ai très envie, "I want it a lot". This usage, frowned upon in the past, is now perfectly standard; conversely, an adjectival modifier (j'en ai grande envie) sounds dated. Compare avoir faim, avoir soif, etc.

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