How to Say ‘To look / to seem’ in French
Avoir l'air
ah-VWAHR l ehr
[ah-VWAHR l ehr]
💬 Usage Tip: [Avoir l'air de] means "to seem" or "to look like," not literally "to have the air of" in English. You can reuse it with a verb: [il a l'air de dormir], [tu as l'air de plaisanter].
Phrase Breakdown
Avoir
[ah-VWAHR]
to have
The infinitive 'to have.' Here it forms the expression 'avoir l’air,' meaning 'to seem' or 'to look.'
Avoir l'air innocent, c’est parfois une stratégie redoutable.
Looking innocent is sometimes a formidable strategy.
l'
[l]
the
Contracted form before a vowel in 'l’air.' It is part of the fixed expression 'avoir l’air.'
Avoir l'air détendu, ça aide beaucoup dans une conversation.
Looking relaxed helps a lot in a conversation.
air
[ehr]
air / appearance / look
In 'avoir l’air,' it does not literally mean 'air' but refers to someone's appearance or impression.
Avoir l'air sûr de soi, c’est efficace sans en faire trop.
Looking confident is effective without overdoing it.
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