a-t-il
Appearance
French
[edit]Etymology
[edit]a (“has”) + -t- (a restoration of the Latin 3rd-person-singular -t) + il (“he”).
Pronunciation
[edit]Verb
[edit]- The interrogative form of avoir in the third-person singular masculine.
- A-t-il l'heure?
- Does he have the time?
- A-t-il l'heure?
- A form of avoir (when used as a past auxiliary verb) in the third-person singular masculine, used after reporting direct speech.
- "C’est un honneur pour moi et pour mon pays", a-t-il ajouté.
- "This is an honour for me and for my country", he added.
Usage notes
[edit]When reporting direct speech, a-t-il always goes after the reported statement.