avait eu

had had

→ avoir

phrase Uncommon #21,401

had had The plus-que-parfait form of avoir, used for an action or state that happened before another past event. Depending on context, it can also mean “had gotten,” “had received,” or “had him.”

FR: Elle avait eu une journée difficile avant de rentrer chez elle.

EN: She had had a difficult day before going home.

C'est comme si un pirate avait eu un bébé avec un ange.

It's as if a pirate had a baby with an angel.

— Avengers : Infinity War (2018)

Elle avait eu un rapport sexuel, peu auparavant.

She had had sexual intercourse shortly before.

— Léviathan (2014)

Et s'il y avait eu un autre gosse ?

What if there had been another child?

Tom ne dit pas à ses parents qu'il avait eu un F à son évaluation.

Tom doesn't tell his parents that he had gotten an F on his test.

Je pense que j'aurais entendu des coups de feu s'il y en avait eu.

I think I would have heard gunshots if there had been any.

Jamais dans sa vie elle n'avait eu si peur.

Never in her life had she been so afraid.

Il ne se rendait pas compte à quel point il avait eu peur.

He didn't realize how scared he had been.

Le suspect avait eu un interrogatoire sévère avant qu'il n'avoue son crime.

The suspect had undergone a harsh interrogation before he confessed to his crime.

J'ai entendu plusieurs personnes dire qu'il y avait eu un accident.

I heard several people say that there had been an accident.

— Senna (2010)

Tom t'a-t-il dit où il avait eu ça ?

Did Tom tell you where he got that?

Si seulement on l'avait eu l'an dernier !

If only we'd had it last year!

— Le Vent se lève (2013)

Elle m'a raconté qu'elle avait eu un accident de voiture.

She told me that she had been in a car accident.

— Ne le dis à personne (2006)

Je pense que j'aurais entendu des détonations s'il y en avait eu.

I think I would have heard gunshots if there had been any.

Nous avons appris qu'il avait eu un accident.

We learned that he had been in an accident.

Ses héritiers ont découvert qu'il avait eu trois femmes en même temps.

His heirs discovered that he had had three wives at the same time.

— Incendies (2010)

Nous avons découvert qu'elle avait eu un accident.

We discovered that she had been in an accident.

Nous parvînmes à la conclusion qu'il avait eu raison.

We came to the conclusion that he had been right.

Tom n'a pas dit à ses parents qu'il avait eu un F à l'évaluation.

Tom didn't tell his parents that he'd gotten an F on the test.