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The French expression avoir envie de has different meanings, such as to feel like, to want or, in some very specific cases, to need.
How to use 'avoir envie de' in French
To feel like / want [something]
To feel like / want in French, you can use the expression avoir envie de [quelque chose] (literally to have desire/want of [something]).
Note that when the object is specific - i.e. I want the chocolate that I keep in my cupboard - de becomes du / de la / de l' / des depending on the gender and number of the noun following it, as it contracts de + le,la,l',les - of the.
To feel like [doing something] / To want [to do something]
To express to feel like [doing something] / to want or to need [to do something], you will use:
avoir envie de / d' + [infinitive of the verb]
See also the verb vouloir (to want): Conjugate vouloir in the present tense in French (Le Présent)
Special cases when avoir envie de is used to express need
There are some fixed expressions in French where we colloquially use avoir envie de where English speakers would refer to a need:
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Examples and resources
It's hot and I'd like/want an ice cream.
Aline feels like throwing up.
