il y a un an
The English phrase "a year ago" is translated into French as il y a un an.
The phrase refers to a point in time that occurred twelve months before the present. While il y a typically means "there is" or "there are," when it is followed by a duration of time, it functions like the English word "ago."
What does it mean word for word?
The expression il y a un an literally translates to "there is a year", where il y a is the impersonal expression for "there is/are".
How does it change in a sentence?
When counting completed units of time, the word an is used instead of année.
Did you know?
- The word y in the phrase il y a originally comes from the Latin word hīc, which means 'here'.
- The word an in this phrase is a cousin to the word 'annus' in Latin, which is where we get the English word 'annual'.
- If a French speaker wants to say 'a year from now', they cannot use il y a. Instead, they use dans un an, which literally translates to 'in a year'.
Examples in context
- J'étais là il y a un an.I was there a year ago.This sentence shows how to use il y a un an to describe a past location.Tatoeba #5186299 by Mag14, translation #5186120 by CK
- C'était seulement il y a un an.That was only a year ago.This sentence uses il y a un an to emphasize how recent the event was.Tatoeba #12345 by sacredceltic, translation #42639 by CK
- J'ai arrêté de fumer il y a un an.I gave up smoking a year ago.This sentence uses il y a un an to indicate when a past habit or action was stopped.Tatoeba #15706 by Aiji, translation #321717 by CK
- Il y a un an, j'ai commencé à travailler dans cette entreprise.A year ago, I started working in this company.
- Il y a un an tout pile, on a fait ce super voyage ensemble !Exactly a year ago, we went on this amazing trip together!
- 13 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing how much their lives have changed.
- LucasTu te souviens de notre voyage ?Do you remember our trip?
- EmmaOui, c'était il y a un an.Yes, it was a year ago.
- LucasLe temps passe tellement vite !Time flies so fast!
- EmmaC'est vrai, Lucas.It's true, Lucas.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, an, il, un, y, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
