décennies
The English phrase "decades" is translated into French as décennies.
décennies is used to refer to periods of ten years.
What does it mean word for word?
The singular form décennie is derived from the Greek word deka, meaning ten, which is the same root used in the English word "decade".
Which one should you use?
While décennie refers specifically to a ten-year period, the French word décade often refers to a group of ten items or a period of ten days.
How does it change in a sentence?
The singular form of décennies is décennie.
Did you know?
- Because the French Revolutionary Calendar replaced the seven-day week with a ten-day décade, the word once represented a full working week.
- In a religious context, a décade refers to a sequence of ten Hail Mary prayers in a Catholic rosary.
- If you want to talk about the 1990s, you should say les années 1990, as using les décennies 1990 would sound very unnatural to a native speaker.
Examples in context
- Dix décennies forment un siècle.Ten decades make up a century.This sentence shows how many décennies make up a century.Tatoeba #11360739 by EEEEEEEEE, translation #11360006 by ddnktr
- Cent décennies font un millénaire.A hundred decades make a millennium.This sentence shows how many décennies make up a millennium.Tatoeba #8954156 by Aiji, translation #3934911 by AlanF_US
- J'ai connu Tom il y a des décennies.I met Tom decades ago.This sentence shows how to express that something happened many décennies ago.Tatoeba #12669689 by Olcyx, translation #5753769 by CM
- Les années soixante-dixThe seventies
- Les années '50 en Amérique du Nord ont été une période de prospérité économique.The '50s in North America were a period of economic prosperity.
- Les années cinquante et soixanteThe fifties and sixties
- Les années trente ont été marquées par la crise économique.The thirties were marked by the economic crisis.
- Les années 2000 ont été une décennie de grands changements technologiques.The 2000s were a decade of significant technological changes.
- 18 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Gabriel are talking about an old house.
- ManonCette maison a vieilli durant des décennies.This house has aged over decades.
- GabrielElle a beaucoup de charme, Manon.It has a lot of charm, Manon.
- ManonOui, mais elle a besoin de réparations.Yes, but it needs repairs.
- GabrielJe suis d'accord avec toi, Gabriel.I agree with you, Gabriel.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
