Collocations with the Verb HAVE

The verb “have” is one of the most common words in English, but it’s also part of many collocations — natural word combinations that native speakers use every day.
For example, we say “have breakfast”, not eat breakfast (although both are understandable).
Learning these collocations helps you sound more fluent, natural, and confident when speaking English.

What Are Collocations?

A collocation is a natural combination of words that frequently go together.
For example:

✅ have a shower → (correct)
❌ take a shower → (also correct in American English, but “have a shower” is more British)
❌ make a shower → (incorrect)

Different verbs — like do, make, take, and have — often combine with specific nouns.
This article focuses on common collocations with “have.”

When Do We Use “Have”?

We use “have” when talking about:

Daily activities — meals, drinks, showers, etc.
Experiences — conversations, holidays, fun, etc.
Health — colds, headaches, tests, etc.
Relationships / interactions — arguments, meetings, problems, etc.

Common Collocations with “Have”

Category	Collocations with “Have”	Example Sentence
Meals / Food	have breakfast, have lunch, have dinner, have a snack, have a drink	We usually have dinner at 7 p.m.
Daily Activities	have a shower, have a bath, have a rest, have a nap	I like to have a nap after lunch.
Conversations / Meetings	have a chat, have a talk, have a discussion, have a meeting	Let’s have a chat later about the project.
Fun / Enjoyment	have fun, have a party, have a good time, have a laugh	We had fun at the festival last night.
Health / Feelings	have a cold, have a fever, have a headache, have a stomachache	She has a headache and needs to rest.
Accidents / Problems	have an accident, have a problem, have difficulty, have trouble	We had some trouble finding the hotel.
Experiences / Opportunities	have a look, have a try, have a go, have a dream, have a chance	You should have a look at this new app.
Relationships / Emotions	have an argument, have a fight, have sympathy, have respect	They had an argument about money.
Work / School	have a break, have a lesson, have an exam, have a test	I’ll have a break after finishing this report.

Examples in Sentences

We always have breakfast together as a family.
She’s having a shower right now.
Let’s have a meeting tomorrow morning.
I had a cold last week, but I’m feeling better now.
Did you have fun at the concert?
He had trouble finding his passport before the trip.
Can I have a look at your notes?

Common Mistakes

❌ make breakfast → ✅ have breakfast
❌ do a nap → ✅ have a nap
❌ make fun → ✅ have fun
❌ do a meeting → ✅ have a meeting

Collocations with the Verb HAVE

Learn 42 collocations with the verb HAVE

have a shower
have a bath
have a wash
have a scrub
have a rest
have a break
have a nap
have a snooze
have a lie down
have a dream
have a holiday
have a day off
have a party
have fun
have a haircut
have a shave
have a chat
have a decision
have a conversation
have a talk
have an argument
have a dispute
have a fight
have a quarrel
have a lecture
have a walk
have a jog
have a run
have a swim
have a stretch
have a game
have a dance
have a drill
have a lesson
have a think
have a meal
have lunch
have a coffee
have a sweet
have a drink
have a problem
have sympathy