a eu

had

→ avoir
phrase Extremely common #247
had Passé composé form of avoir for il/elle/on or a singular noun. It usually means 'had' or 'has had', but can also mean 'got' depending on context. In some fixed expressions, the natural English translation changes, such as avoir raison → 'to be right'.
FR: Elle a eu une bonne idée.
EN: She had a good idea.

De sa première épouse, Bhuvan a eu trois enfants.

Bhuvan had three children with his first wife.

— Devdas (2002)

Fyodor a eu une expérience qui lui donne encore la chair de poule.

Fyodor had an experience that still gives him goosebumps.

Qu'est-ce qu'il a eu?

What happened to him?

Le chauffeur a eu envie de prendre du repos.

The driver wanted to take a rest.

Ma femme a eu un accident, avec des Quaaludes.

My wife had an accident while wearing Quaaludes.

— Presque Célèbre (2000)

Ziri a eu le souffle coupé.

Ziri gasped.

Tom a eu des difficultés à apprendre le français.

Tom had difficulty learning French.

Cette chanson a eu beaucoup de succès.

This song was very successful.

Yanni a eu une liaison émotionnelle avec Rima.

Yanni had an emotional affair with Rima.

Maman a eu un infarctus.

Mom had a heart attack.

— Good Bye Lenin! (2003)

Elle en a eu d'autres.

She's had others.

— Intouchables (2011)

Il y a pas un autre pays qui a eu cette chance-.

No other country has had that opportunity.

— Les Invasions barbares (2003)

L’hydrogène n’a pas davantage de futur qu’il n’a eu de passé.

Hydrogen has no more future than it had a past.

Tom a eu un sursaut.

Tom jumped.

Ce présentateur de nouvelles a eu une audience avec le roi.

This news anchor had an audience with the king.

Je n'aurais pas dû, mais il n'a eu que ce qu'il méritait.

I shouldn’t have, but he got what he deserved.

Giorgio a eu peur, il s'est barré.

Giorgio got scared and took off.

— Les Nuits de Cabiria (1957)

Ma vie a eu un seul but.

My life has had a single purpose.

— Gangs of Wasseypur : 1ère partie (2012)

Un guerrier envoyé par le ciel a eu raison des assassins!

A warrior sent from heaven defeated the assassins!

— Hero (2002)

Tom n'a eu d'autre choix que de rester.

Tom had no choice but to stay.

Ma mère a eu beaucoup de peine en apprenant que je l'étais pas.

My mother was very upset when she found out that I wasn’t.

— Pour l'éternité (2025)

Y a eu une erreur.

An error occurred.

— Viens chez moi, j'habite chez une copine (1981)

Il en a eu pour son fric.

He got his money's worth.

— Blow Out (1981)

Le Dr Guggenheim a eu une attaque.

Dr. Guggenheim had a stroke.

— Rushmore (1998)

Tom a eu ces billets gratuitement.

Tom got these tickets for free.

On l’a eu.

We got him.

— Zootopie 2 (2025)

La formation a eu beau être difficile, jamais elle n'a pleuré.

No matter how difficult the training was, she never cried.

Tom a eu un accident de ski.

Tom had a skiing accident.

Aozaki a eu le rouge.

Aozaki received a red card.

— The Garden of Sinners, film 5 : Spirale contradictoire (2008)

Qui a eu l'idée de mettre l'écureuil dans ma bouche?

Who came up with the idea of putting the squirrel in my mouth?

— Anaconda (2025)

Tom a eu une semaine chargée.

Tom has had a busy week.

On ignore le vieux a eu la cassette.

It is unknown where the old man got the cassette.

— Tesis (1996)

Le chat de Tom a eu neuf chatons.

Tom's cat had nine kittens.

Ma grand-mère a eu un AVC.

My grandmother had a stroke.

C'est plutôt lui qui a eu la poisse.

He’s the one who really had bad luck.

— Bullet Train (2022)

Je pense que chacun a eu une expérience semblable.

I think everyone has had a similar experience.

— Audition (2000)

Mais ton père a eu raison de t'envoyer à la fac.

But your father was right to send you to college.

— Salé, Sucré (1994)

Y a eu deux coups de feu.

There were two gunshots.

— Akira (1988)

Il en a eu combien?

How many did he have?

— En terrain miné (2014)

À la fin, il en a eu marre et il est rentré chez lui.

In the end, he got fed up and went home.

— 2 sœurs (2003)

Jim a eu une semaine épuisante.

Jim has had an exhausting week.

Votre avocat juif a eu un petit accident?

Did your Jewish lawyer have a minor accident?

Tom a eu quelques réponses justes.

Tom had some correct answers.

Tom a eu une crise de panique.

Tom had a panic attack.

Tout le monde a eu l'air soulagé.

Everyone seemed relieved.

Qui en a eu l'idée?

Who came up with the idea?

Le roi a eu un règne long et prospère.

The king had a long and prosperous reign.

Son dernier film a eu beaucoup de succès.

His last film was very successful.

Qu'est-ce qu'elle a eu?

What happened to her?

L'entretien s'est tellement bien passé qu'il a eu le poste.

The interview went so well that he got the job.

Ziri a eu une conversation avec Rima.

Ziri had a conversation with Rima.

Tom a eu le cœur brisé quand Mary est morte.

Tom was heartbroken when Mary died.

Maman a eu un malaise dans le train.

Mom felt unwell on the train.

— Voyage à Tokyo (1953)

Il n'y a eu aucun Michael Manfield à Blue Hill.

There was no Michael Manfield at Blue Hill.

— À bout de course (1988)

Tom a eu un travail difficile.

Tom had a difficult job.

Sami a eu du mal à joindre Layla.

Sami had trouble reaching Layla.

Keizo, mon cher frère, mère a eu une fin paisible.

Keizo, my dear brother, mother had a peaceful end.

— Voyage à Tokyo (1953)

Je crois que la légende a eu le mal du pays.

I think the legend was homesick.

— Sisu : Le Chemin de la vengeance (2025)

La presse a eu vent de la guerre.

The press got wind of the war.

— La Cité de Dieu (2002)

Billy Loomis a eu un enfant caché, donc on sait plus.

Billy Loomis had a secret child, so who knows.

— Scream 7 (2026)

Tom n'a eu que quelques visiteurs lorsqu'il était à l'hôpital.

Tom only had a few visitors while he was in the hospital.

Ma mère a eu un malaise dans le train.

My mother felt unwell on the train.

— Voyage à Tokyo (1953)

Bob a eu de nombreuses dangereuses aventures pendant la guerre.

Bob had many dangerous adventures during the war.

Y a eu une grosse baston à Morro.

There was a huge brawl in Morro.

— La Cité des hommes (2007)

Tom a eu de la chance de ne pas se faire tuer.

Tom was lucky not to get killed.

Maman a eu l'air si étonnée!

Mom looked so surprised!

— Souvenirs de Marnie (2014)

L'équipe a eu sa part?

Did the team get its share?

La prison a eu de lourdes conséquences sur elle.

Prison took a heavy toll on her.

Tom a eu un coup de soleil.

Tom got sunburned.

Et cet idiot de Tetsuo a eu un accident.

And that idiot Tetsuo had an accident.

— Akira (1988)

C'est des loups dont Manchas a eu peur!

It was wolves that Manchas was afraid of!

— Zootopie (2016)

Bruno a eu peur.

Bruno was scared.

C'est une femme qui a eu une éducation classique.

She is a woman who received a classical education.

Qui a eu l'idée du calendrier?

Who came up with the idea for the calendar?

Kane a eu tout ce qu'il a désiré.

Kane got everything he wanted.

Votre acte a eu des conséquences.

Your actions have had consequences.

— Le Patient anglais (1996)

Où est-ce que Tom a eu cette bague?

Where did Tom get that ring?

C'est elle qui a eu l'idée.

She was the one who came up with the idea.

Un jour, il en a eu sa claque et il s'est barré.

One day, he’d had enough and took off.

— La grande bellezza (2013)

Le charpentier a eu peur, il s'est sauvé.

The carpenter got scared and ran away.

— Le Garde du corps (1961)

Un soir, il en a eu assez.

One evening, he'd had enough.

— La Nuit américaine (1973)

Paulie a eu le feu vert.

Paulie got the green light.

— Les Affranchis (1990)

Joe a eu quelques pensées pour la scène du vieux moulin.

Joe had some thoughts about the old mill scene.

— Séquences et conséquences (2000)

Sa chatte a eu quatre autres chatons.

Her cat had four more kittens.

On en a eu plus que lui.

We had more than him.

— La vie est belle (1997)

Y a eu quoi?

What happened?

Hier, Marc a eu un peu de fièvre, mais aujourd'hui, il va très bien.

Yesterday, Marc had a slight fever, but today he feels very well.

Il en a eu davantage qu'il en a négocié.

He got more than he negotiated for.

Tom a eu besoin d'aide.

Tom needed help.

Meatloaf a eu au moins une nana.

Meatloaf had at least one girlfriend.

— Love Actually (2003)

Penses-tu que la campagne a eu du succès en Italie?

Do you think the campaign was successful in Italy?

Tom a eu son diplôme.

Tom graduated.

Et on n'a eu aucun problème pour les placer avec succès.

And we had no trouble placing them successfully.

— Tár (2022)

Notre chèvre a eu une portée de trois chevreaux.

Our goat had a litter of three kids.

Qui a eu cette brillante idée?

Who came up with this brilliant idea?

Malheureusement, Brian a eu du mauvais temps.

Unfortunately, Brian had bad weather.

Tom a eu une nouvelle paire de lunettes.

Tom got a new pair of glasses.

C'est lui qui a eu l'idée.

He was the one who came up with the idea.

Tout le monde a eu l'air surpris.

Everyone seemed surprised.

C'est sans doute lui qui a eu raison.

He was probably right.

Quand Alicia a eu son accident, il pleuvait aussi.

It was raining when Alicia had her accident.

— Parle avec elle (2002)

Y a eu aucun mort.

There were no deaths.

— The Big Sick (2017)

Mon chien a eu peur de ton chat.

My dog was scared of your cat.

Mary a eu de la chance de trouver ses clefs.

Mary was lucky to find her keys.

Ben, ce problème que la recrue a eu était un accident.

Well, the problem the recruit had was an accident.

— Troupe d'Élite (2007)

Surtout qu'il nous a eu les bières.

Especially since he got us the beers.

Bill Peterson a eu une coupure Internet.

Bill Peterson experienced an internet outage.

— Reconnu coupable (2026)

Ziri a eu une relation qui a duré quatre ans.

Ziri had a relationship that lasted four years.

Et nous verrons qui a eu le plus de succès.

And we'll see who was the most successful.

— 3 Idiots (2009)

Tom a eu le cœur brisé quand Mary lui a dit qu'elle le quittait.

Tom was heartbroken when Mary told him she was leaving him.

Le Kossatch a eu pitié de lui.

Kossatch took pity on him.

— Requiem pour un massacre (1985)

Il n'y a eu aucun survivant.

There were no survivors.

Gunter a eu plus d'hallucinations.

Gunter had more hallucinations.

Tom a eu une autre bonne idée.

Tom had another good idea.

Bref Camilla a eu le rôle.

In short, Camilla got the role.

— Mulholland Drive (2001)

Sami a eu une dure journée.

Sami had a hard day.

Un de nos employés a eu un accident.

One of our employees had an accident.

C'est l'homme qui a eu l'accident.

This is the man who had the accident.

L'orage a eu un impact négatif sur les récoltes.

The storm had a negative impact on the crops.

C'est elle qui en a eu l'idée.

She was the one who came up with the idea.

Zeus a eu des tas d'aventures, mais Juno était sa seule femme.

Zeus had lots of affairs, but Juno was his only wife.

— Juno (2007)

Y a eu une émeute, ici?

Was there a riot here?

— Viens chez moi, j'habite chez une copine (1981)

Tom a eu de la chance de trouver ses clefs.

Tom was lucky to find his keys.

Yanni a eu une journée terrible.

Yanni had a terrible day.

La tempête a eu un effet grave sur l'économie.

The storm had a serious impact on the economy.

Dan a eu une aventure avec une jeune fille du nom de Linda.

Dan had an affair with a girl named Linda.

Votre journal a eu beaucoup d'influence.

Your newspaper has had a lot of influence.

Maman a eu le mal de mer.

Mom got seasick.

— Voyage à Tokyo (1953)

Rachel a eu une fille.

Rachel had a daughter.

— Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

Tom a eu un petit accident.

Tom had a little accident.

Fechner a fait une mort superbe, Guibarian, lui a eu la trouille.

Fechner had a superb death, Guibarian, on the other hand, was scared stiff.

— Solaris (1972)

Mme Després, Steve a eu sa chance ici.

Ms. Després, Steve had his chance here.

— Mommy (2014)

Et tout ça parce qu'aucun de nous n'a eu assez d'amour pendant son enfance.

And all that because neither of us received enough love during childhood.

— Chicago (2002)

Qui a eu l'idée?

Who came up with the idea?

Je crois qu'on en a eu un.

I think we had one.

Tom n'a eu aucun scrupule à tricher lors du test.

Tom had no qualms about cheating on the test.

Théophane n'a eu qu'à te faire signe.

All Théophane had to do was signal to you.

— Andreï Roublev (1966)

Aucune des femmes n'a eu d'enfants.

None of the women had children.

— Des hommes d'honneur (1992)

On en a eu un.

We had one.

— The Rip (2026)

Y a eu un délit de fuite?

Was there a hit-and-run?

— Mother (2009)

Gus a eu une idée.

Gus had an idea.

— Une fiancée pas comme les autres (2007)

Ton copain en a eu marre de t'attendre et vient juste de partir.

Your boyfriend got tired of waiting for you and just left.

Il en a eu pas mal dans sa jeunesse.

He had quite a few in his youth.

Demande s'il a eu la lettre.

Ask if he got the letter.

Cette triste histoire a eu une fin tragique.

This sad story had a tragic end.

Tom a eu tout ce qu'il voulait pour Noël.

Tom got everything he wanted for Christmas.

Qui a eu cette idée?

Who came up with this idea?

Elle n’a eu qu’un instant, c’est impressionnant.

She only had a moment, it's impressive.

— Demon Slayer : Kimetsu no Yaiba - Le film : La Forteresse infinie (2025)

Tom a eu une retenue pour avoir parlé en classe.

Tom got detention for talking in class.

Ma fille a eu son bac l'an dernier.

My daughter got her baccalaureate last year.

Ton père a eu une attaque.

Your father had a stroke.

Tout le monde a eu une bonne année.

Everyone had a good year.

M. Jedusor a eu beaucoup de professeurs quand il était à Poudlard.

Mr. Riddle had many teachers when he was at Hogwarts.

— Harry Potter et le Prince de sang-mêlé (2009)

Le Maître en a eu l'idée?

Did the Master come up with the idea?

— Épouses et Concubines (1991)

Ce même jour, Pépinot a eu des ennuis.

That same day, Pépinot got into trouble.

— Les Choristes (2004)

Dito a eu du bol de trouver cet argent.

Dito was lucky to find that money.

— Pixote, la loi du plus faible (1980)

Y a eu de la baston.

There was a fight.

— La Haine (1995)

Il en a eu assez.

He had enough.

Mary a eu le souffle coupé.

Mary gasped.

Mme Danvers a eu un sacré choc.

Ms. Danvers was in for a real shock.

— Rebecca (1940)

Le jeune qui a eu l'accident est un de nos amis.

The young man who had the accident is one of our friends.

— Akira (1988)

Même un tueur a eu des copains de classe.

Even a killer had classmates.

— Les Anges déchus (1995)

Tom a eu le souffle coupé.

Tom gasped.

Cela n'a eu aucun effet sur lui.

It had no effect on him.

Il s'est cogné la tête contre une étagère et a eu une grosse bosse.

He banged his head against a shelf and got a big bump.

Une flèche en a eu un.

One arrow got one.

— Les Sept Samouraïs (1954)

Marie a eu une grippe.

Marie had the flu.

Il n'y a eu que trois survivants.

There were only three survivors.

Dick a eu un accident de la route.

Dick had a car accident.

Tom a eu une crise d'asthme.

Tom had an asthma attack.

Tout le monde a eu l'air perplexe.

Everyone looked perplexed.

Qui en a eu assez?

Who had enough?

Puis y a eu mon oncle McArthur.

Then there was my uncle McArthur.

— L'Ultime Héritier (2026)

Sami a eu une enfance insouciante.

Sami had a carefree childhood.

Celui-là a eu son compte.

He's had enough.

— La Cité de Dieu (2002)