Has vs. Had : Quelle est la différence ?
has avec le singulier au présent et had pour toutes les actions passées.
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'has' for the present third-person singular (he/she/it) and 'had' for all past situations regardless of the subject.
- Use 'has' for current possession or actions with he, she, or it (e.g., She has a car).
- Use 'had' for any past possession or action for all subjects (e.g., They had a car).
- In compound tenses, 'has' forms the Present Perfect while 'had' forms the Past Perfect.
Overview
has et had des centaines de fois. Pourtant, ces deux petits mots sont souvent le théâtre d'erreurs persistantes pour nous, francophones.to have.has et had, c'est maîtriser deux dimensions fondamentales de la langue : le temps (présent vs passé) et l'accord (qui fait l'action ?). En gros, has est une forme du présent très spécifique, tandis que had est le caméléon du passé.possession), de ce que tu as vécu (experience) ou que tu construises des phrases complexes pour raconter une histoire (auxiliaire), le choix entre ces deux formes change radicalement le sens de ton propos. Si tu dis I had a car, tu parles d'un souvenir. Si tu dis He has a car, tu parles d'une réalité actuelle.has et had, il faut d'abord comprendre que le verbe to have joue deux rôles dans une phrase : il peut être le verbe principal (celui qui porte le sens) ou un verbe auxiliaire (celui qui aide à construire un temps composé).j'ai, tu as, il a, nous avons, etc.). En anglais, c'est beaucoup plus simple, mais cette simplicité même nous piège.Hasest la forme du Simple Present. Elle ne s'utilise que pour la troisième personne du singulier (he,she,itou un nom singulier commemy bossouthe cat). Pour toutes les autres personnes (I,you,we,they), on utilisehave.Hadest la forme du Simple Past. Sa grande force ? Elle est universelle. Peu importe le sujet, qu'il soit singulier, pluriel, premier ou troisième, on utilisehad.
to have exprime souvent la possession.- En français : « Il a un dossier. » → En anglais :
He has a file.(Présent) - En français : « Il avait un dossier. » → En anglais :
He had a file.(Passé)
has et had pour former les temps « Perfect ».- Present Perfect (
has+ participe passé) : On l'utilise pour une action passée qui a encore un lien avec le présent. *Exemple :*She has lost her keys.(Elle les a perdues et ne les a toujours pas retrouvées). - Past Perfect (
had+ participe passé) : C'est le « passé du passé ». On l'utilise pour parler d'une action qui s'est produite avant une autre action passée. *Exemple :*She had lost her keys before she reached the office.(Elle avait perdu ses clés avant d'arriver au bureau).
has et had parfois subtile pour nous. Mais garde en tête : has regarde vers le présent, had regarde loin derrière dans le passé.Has he...? dans la vie de tous les jours, on utilise un auxiliaire de support).He / She / It | He has a car. | He does not have a car. | Does he have a car? |All subjects | They had a car. | They did not have a car. | Did they have a car? |has redevient have car c'est does qui porte la marque de la troisième personne. De même, au passé, had redevient have car c'est did qui porte la marque du passé.has et had servent d'outils de construction. Ils sont suivis du Past Participle (souvent en -ed, ou la 3ème colonne des verbes irréguliers).Has + Participle | She has finished. | She hasn't finished. |Had + Participle | She had finished. | She hadn't finished. |do/does/did. On ajoute simplement not après has ou had.HAS quand :- 1Tu parles d'une possession actuelle pour une tierce personne.
My manager has a very direct style.(Mon manager a un style très direct). C'est vrai maintenant.
- 1Tu décris une caractéristique physique ou un trait de caractère.
This laptop has a great battery life.(Cet ordinateur a une super autonomie).
- 1Tu parles d'une obligation au présent (avec
to).
He has to call the client before noon.(Il doit appeler le client avant midi). C'est une nécessité actuelle.
- 1Tu utilises le Present Perfect pour une action récente ou inachevée.
The train has just arrived.(Le train vient d'arriver). L'action est terminée mais l'impact est immédiat.
HAD quand :- 1Tu parles d'une possession ou d'un état terminé.
Last year, we had a smaller office.(L'année dernière, nous avions un bureau plus petit). C'est fini, ce n'est plus le cas.
- 1Tu racontes un événement passé (expérience).
We had a wonderful dinner at that French bistro.(Nous avons passé un excellent dîner...). L'événement est daté et clos.
- 1Tu exprimes une obligation passée.
I had to take the bus because my car broke down.(J'ai dû prendre le bus...). C'est une contrainte qui a eu lieu dans le passé.
- 1Tu veux marquer une antériorité (le passé du passé).
When the meeting started, I realized I had forgotten my notes.(Quand la réunion a commencé, j'ai réalisé que j'avais oublié mes notes). L'oubli s'est produit *avant* le début de la réunion.
He has 20 years.- Erreur :
He has 25 years old. - Correction :
He is 25 years old.
do/does/didto have quand il est principal.- Erreur :
Has he a pen?ouHad you a good trip?(Sonne très vieillot ou incorrect). - Correction :
Does he have a pen?/Did you have a good trip?
has au lieu de had lorsqu'ils racontent une histoire au passé.- Erreur :
I was tired because I has worked all day. - Correction :
I was tired because I had worked all day.
I was), tout ce qui s'est passé avant doit utiliser had.has avec I ou You- Erreur :
I has a question. - Correction :
I have a question.
Has est réservé exclusivement au trio VIP : He, She, It.has + participe) du Simple Past (had tout seul ou avec did).Has + Participle) | Simple Past (Had / Did have) |She has visited Paris twice. (On ne sait pas quand, elle peut y retourner). | She visited Paris in 2015. (C'est daté). |She has had that car for years. (Elle l'a encore). | She had that car for years. (Elle ne l'a plus). |She hasn't finished yet. | She didn't finish yesterday. |Have got vs Have :He has got a car au lieu de He has a car. C'est exactement la même chose ! Has got est simplement plus courant à l'oral au Royaume-Uni. Mais attention : au passé, on utilise presque toujours had tout court, pas had got.has pour parler de moi ?Has est strictement réservé à la 3ème personne du singulier au présent. Pour toi (I), c'est toujours have au présent et had au passé.I had a coffee et I have had a coffee ?I had a coffee (Simple Past) signifie que tu l'as bu à un moment précis, par exemple ce matin à 8h. C'est une action finie.I have had a coffee (Present Perfect) signifie « J'ai déjà bu un café » (sous-entendu : je n'en veux pas d'autre maintenant). L'accent est mis sur l'état présent de ton estomac, pas sur l'heure de la pause.He doesn't have et pas He doesn't has ?does prend déjà le « s », donc le verbe qui suit reprend sa forme de base (have). C'est comme en français quand on dit « Il peut partir » et pas « Il peut part ».had peut s'utiliser pour le futur ?had est exclusivement lié au passé. Pour le futur, on utilisera will have. Par exemple : Tomorrow, she will have her results.has est ton outil pour le présent de l'autre (lui/elle), tandis que had est ton outil universel pour raconter tes souvenirs et structurer tes récits passés. Entraîne-toi à bien utiliser does et did pour les questions, et tu parleras un anglais bien plus naturel !Conjugation of 'To Have' (Present vs. Past)
| Subject | Present Tense | Past Tense | Present Perfect | Past Perfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
I
|
have
|
had
|
have had
|
had had
|
|
You
|
have
|
had
|
have had
|
had had
|
|
He/She/It
|
has
|
had
|
has had
|
had had
|
|
We
|
have
|
had
|
have had
|
had had
|
|
They
|
have
|
had
|
have had
|
had had
|
Common Contractions
| Full Form | Contraction | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
He has
|
He's
|
He's got a car.
|
|
She has
|
She's
|
She's finished.
|
|
It has
|
It's
|
It's been raining.
|
|
I had
|
I'd
|
I'd already left.
|
|
You had
|
You'd
|
You'd better go.
|
|
They had
|
They'd
|
They'd seen it.
|
Meanings
Both words are forms of the verb 'to have,' used to indicate possession, experience, or as auxiliary verbs to form complex tenses.
Possession (Present vs. Past)
Owning or holding something in the current moment (has) versus a completed time (had).
“He has a blue eyes.”
“He had a bicycle when he was ten.”
Auxiliary Verb (Perfect Tenses)
Used with a past participle to show completed actions relative to the present or another past point.
“She has finished her work.”
“She had finished her work before the boss arrived.”
Obligation (Have to)
Expressing necessity in the present (has to) or past (had to).
“He has to go to the doctor.”
“He had to leave early yesterday.”
Experience/Consumption
Used to describe eating, drinking, or undergoing an event.
“She has breakfast at 8 AM.”
“She had a terrible nightmare last night.”
Reference Table
| Sujet | Forme au présent (maintenant) | Forme au passé (avant) | Auxiliaire (Present Perfect) | Auxiliaire (Past Perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
I, You, We, They
|
have
|
had
|
have + V3
|
had + V3
|
|
He, She, It
|
has
|
had
|
has + V3
|
had + V3
|
|
Singular Noun
|
has
|
had
|
has + V3
|
had + V3
|
|
Plural Noun
|
have
|
had
|
have + V3
|
had + V3
|
|
Example: She
|
She has
|
She had
|
She has finished
|
She had finished
|
|
Example: They
|
They have
|
They had
|
They have finished
|
They had finished
|
Spectre de formalité
The individual has a vehicle at his disposal. (Transportation)
He has a car. (Transportation)
He's got a car. (Transportation)
He's packin' a sweet ride. (Transportation)
Has vs. Had : Temps & Sujet
Présent ('Has')
- He has Il possède
- She has Elle expérimente
- It has Il possède
- Singular Noun Le chat a
Passé ('Had')
- I had J'ai possédé (passé)
- You had Tu as expérimenté (passé)
- All Subjects Ils ont eu, Elle a eu, Nous avons eu
Has vs. Had : Distinctions Clés
Choisir 'Has' ou 'Had'
L'action/possession se passe-t-elle MAINTENANT ou est-elle généralement VRAIE ?
Chemin Présent : Le sujet est-il HE, SHE, IT, ou un nom singulier ?
Chemin Passé : L'action/possession est-elle terminée dans le passé ?
Super-pouvoirs de la grammaire : Has & Had
Pouvoir du Présent (HAS)
- • Possession Actuelle
- • Événements Actuels
- • Present Perfect
- • He/She/It
Pouvoir du Passé (HAD)
- • Possession Passée
- • Événements Passés
- • Past Perfect
- • Tous les Sujets
Rôle Partagé
- • Verbe 'To Have'
- • Exprimer une Expérience
Erreurs Courantes
- • Mélange des Temps
- • Oublier la règle 'do/did'
- • Accord sujet-verbe (has)
Exemples par niveau
She has a big house.
She has a big house.
He has a brother.
He has a brother.
I had a sandwich for lunch.
I had a sandwich for lunch.
They had a party yesterday.
They had a party yesterday.
Does he have a pen? Yes, he has one.
Does he have a pen? Yes, he has one.
She hasn't got any money.
She hasn't got any money.
We had to wait for two hours.
We had to wait for two hours.
It has been a long day.
It has been a long day.
He has already seen that movie.
He has already seen that movie.
By the time I arrived, they had left.
By the time I arrived, they had left.
She has to finish the report by Friday.
She has to finish the report by Friday.
I realized I had forgotten my keys.
I realized I had forgotten my keys.
The company has been expanding rapidly this year.
The company has been expanding rapidly this year.
If he had studied harder, he would have passed.
If he had studied harder, he would have passed.
She had her car repaired last week.
She had her car repaired last week.
He has a tendency to speak too loudly.
He has a tendency to speak too loudly.
Had I known you were coming, I would have baked a cake.
Had I known you were coming, I would have baked a cake.
The government has yet to address the crisis.
The government has yet to address the crisis.
He had no sooner reached the door than it opened.
He had no sooner reached the door than it opened.
She has it in her to become a great leader.
She has it in her to become a great leader.
The witness has since retracted her statement.
The witness has since retracted her statement.
Whatever influence he had has now vanished.
Whatever influence he had has now vanished.
He had had a premonition of the disaster.
He had had a premonition of the disaster.
The city has seen better days.
The city has seen better days.
Facile à confondre
Both 'He has' and 'He is' contract to 'He's'. Learners often can't tell which is which.
Both 'I had' and 'I would' contract to 'I'd'.
Learners use 'has' for all subjects because it sounds more 'complete'.
Erreurs courantes
I has a dog.
I have a dog.
Yesterday she has a cold.
Yesterday she had a cold.
He have a car.
He has a car.
She has 20 years old.
She is 20 years old.
He doesn't has a car.
He doesn't have a car.
Did you had lunch?
Did you have lunch?
Has he a pen?
Does he have a pen?
I had seen him yesterday.
I saw him yesterday.
She has finished it before I arrived.
She had finished it before I arrived.
He has lived here since two years.
He has lived here for two years.
If I has known...
If I had known...
I wish I have more time.
I wish I had more time.
Structures de phrases
She has a ___ in her ___.
He had already ___ when the ___ ___.
It has been ___ since ___.
Had I ___ , I would have ___.
Real World Usage
She has your charger.
My previous role had a lot of responsibility.
He has had a fever since last night.
Look what Sarah has just bought!
Does your bag have any liquids?
The Roman Empire had a vast road network.
Pense 'Maintenant' vs. 'Avant'
has au présent (maintenant) et had au passé (avant). Ce petit truc t'aidera à choisir vite. She has a coffee now.
Pas de 'Has' après 'Do/Did'
Do, does et did portent déjà le temps dans les questions et négations. Donc c'est toujours Do you have?, Did she have?, "He doesn't have – jamais has ou had juste après. Does he have a dog?"Écoute les natifs !
has et had dans leurs conversations, podcasts ou séries Netflix. Imiter leurs habitudes, c'est super efficace pour l'intégrer naturellement. She has a British accent.
Le 'Got' britannique vs. américain
Has et had sont universels, mais tu entendras souvent has got (par ex. She has got a new car) en anglais britannique pour la possession, alors que l'américain dira juste
has (She has a new car). Les deux sont corrects !
I have got a cold.
Smart Tips
Immediately eliminate 'has'. These time markers require the past form 'had'.
The verb that follows must be 'have'. Never use 'has' or 'had' after 'do/does/did'.
Use 'had' for the event that happened first to make your storytelling clearer.
Check if there is a 'got' or a V3 verb. If so, it's 'has'. If it's an adjective or noun, it's 'is'.
Prononciation
Has Pronunciation
The 's' in 'has' is pronounced like a 'z'.
Had Pronunciation
The 'd' is a soft dental stop.
Contraction 's
When 'has' is contracted (He's), it sounds exactly like 'He is'. Context tells you which one it is.
Contraction 'd
When 'had' is contracted (I'd), the 'd' is very light and almost disappears before consonants.
Emphasis on Possession
She HAS a car (not just borrows one).
Stressing the verb to confirm ownership.
Emphasis on Past
I HAD a car (but I don't now).
Stressing 'had' to contrast with the present.
Mémorise-le
Moyen mnémotechnique
HAS is for He, Always Singular. HAD is for History, Always Done.
Association visuelle
Imagine a giant clock. The 'Has' hand is stuck on the current hour but only points to one person. The 'Had' hand can spin back to any time in the past and points to everyone.
Rhyme
When it's now and it's she, 'has' is what it needs to be. When it's then and it's they, 'had' is what you have to say.
Story
John HAS a golden ticket right now. He is very happy. But yesterday, he HAD nothing. He HAD to work hard to find the ticket that he now HAS.
Word Web
Défi
Write 3 sentences about what your best friend HAS in their bag right now, and 3 sentences about what they HAD for breakfast yesterday.
Notes culturelles
British speakers frequently use 'has got' instead of just 'has' for possession. It sounds more natural in casual UK speech.
Americans prefer the simple 'has' for possession and 'has to' for obligation. 'Gotten' is also used as the past participle of 'get', which can appear with 'has'.
In some dialects, 'done' is used with 'had' or 'has' to emphasize completion, or 'has' might be omitted in specific rapid speech patterns.
From Old English 'habban' (to have, hold, possess).
Amorces de conversation
What has been the best part of your week so far?
Tell me about a pet you had when you were a child.
Had you ever traveled abroad before you visited this country?
What is something your city has that other cities don't?
Sujets d'écriture
Erreurs courantes
Test Yourself
My phone ___ a new update available.
Find and fix the mistake:
Yesterday, we has a great time at the park.
Choose the correct sentence:
Score: /3
Exercices pratiques
8 exercisesBy the time the police arrived, the thief ___ already escaped.
My sister ___ a very busy schedule this week.
Find and fix the mistake:
He didn't had any money for the bus.
She has a headache.
1. He (Now), 2. They (Past), 3. It (Past), 4. She (Now)
A: Why is the floor wet? B: The dog ___ a bath.
A: He had a sandwich. B: He had finished his lunch.
___ she ever been to Paris before last year?
Score: /8
Practice Bank
13 exercisesThe company ___ a new CEO since last month.
Did you had a good breakfast this morning?
Choose the correct sentence:
Translate into English: 'Ella tenía un coche azul.'
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Match the pronouns with the correct form:
By the time I arrived, they ___ already left for the party.
My neighbor has a old car which he bought ten years ago.
Choose the correct sentence:
Translate into English: 'Él tiene mucha experiencia en ese campo.'
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Match the pronouns with the correct form:
I wish I ___ known about the concert earlier.
Score: /13
FAQ (8)
No. 'I' always uses 'have' in the present tense. 'Has' is strictly for he, she, it, or singular nouns.
Yes! In the past tense, 'I', 'you', 'he', 'she', 'it', 'we', and 'they' all use 'had'.
'Has been' is Present Perfect (started in past, continues now). 'Had been' is Past Perfect (happened before another past event).
Yes. The first 'has' is the helper, and the second 'had' is the main verb. It means he has possessed or experienced something recently.
In English questions, the auxiliary 'does' takes the third-person 's', so the main verb must stay in its base form 'have'.
Use 'had had' in the Past Perfect when the main verb is 'to have'. Example: 'I had had that car for ten years before it broke down.'
No, they are the same level of formality. The only difference is the subject they agree with.
No. It can mean 'ate' (had lunch), 'experienced' (had a dream), or act as a helper verb (had finished).
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Tiene / Había
Spanish has many more conjugations for each person, whereas English only has 'has' and 'had'.
A / Avait
French uses 'avoir' for age and hunger, where English uses 'to be'.
Hat / Hatte
German often uses the present perfect ('hat gehabt') in spoken language where English would use simple past 'had'.
Arimasu / Atta
Japanese does not have a separate word for 3rd person singular; the verb is the same for all subjects.
Indahu / Kana indahu
Arabic doesn't have a direct verb 'to have' in the same way English does.
Yǒu (有)
There is no conjugation at all in Chinese; 'has' and 'had' are the same word.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Vidéos associées
04:18 Bobcat Hunting in Winter | 4K UHD | Planet Earth II | BBC Earth
08:03 Puff Pastry Pizza Poppers | Crispy One-Bite Party Pizza | Food Wishes
02:17 The Crucible | 'They'll be calling us witches' | National Theatre Live
Has, Have, Had, Had Had - explication facile - cours d'anglais
Anglais Cours Club
HAVE, HAS, HAD, HAD HAD - Cours d'anglais facile
Anglais pour les Nuls
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