je suis en cinquième
The English phrase "I am in year 8" can be translated into French as je suis en cinquième.
This phrase is used by a student to specify their current grade level in school.
When do people say it?
The French school system counts down from the sixth grade (sixième) rather than counting up from the first grade, so cinquième corresponds to the 8th year of schooling (Year 8/7th Grade). Je suis en huitième année. is commonly used in Canada and some French-speaking regions to refer to the eighth year of education.
Did you know?
- The word suis is a linguistic oddity because its modern form was shaped by the Latin verb fuī, which means 'I was', rather than the standard Latin 'sum'.
- In the French school system, a student starts their secondary education in sixième and moves down the numbers until they reach troisième.
- The word cinquième is an ordinal number, and the suffix -ième is used in French to turn almost any cardinal number into an ordinal one.
Examples in context
- Je suis en cinquième cette année.I am in year 8 this year.
- Ma sœur est en quatrième, mais je suis en cinquième.My sister is in year 7, but I am in year 8.
Example conversation
Two students are meeting for the first time at school.
- HugoSalut ! Je m'appelle Hugo. Tu es en quelle classe ?Hi! My name is Hugo. What grade are you in?
- ManonSalut Hugo, je suis en cinquième.Hi Hugo, I am in year 8.
- HugoMoi aussi ! On est dans la même année.Me too! We are in the same year.
- ManonC'est super, Manon est mon nom.That's great, my name is Manon.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cinquième, en, je, suis, CC BY-SA 4.0.
