j'ai ___ ans
The English phrase "I am ___ years old" is translated into French as j'ai ___ ans.
To state your age in French, you use the verb avoir (to have) in conjunction with ans (years).
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase j'ai ___ ans literally translates to "I have ___ years". The j' in j'ai is a contraction of je (I) and ai (have), which occurs because ai begins with a vowel.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word ans is a noun and must be included in the phrase. You cannot omit it as you might in English shorthand. Additionally, the j' in j'ai is a contraction of je and ai because the latter starts with a vowel.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the verb être (to be) and say je suis ___ ans. Instead, you must use the verb avoir (to have) as in j'ai ___ ans.
Did you know?
- In very formal or poetic French, you might encounter the phrase être âgé de, which uses the verb être (to be) instead of avoir (to have).
- The word ans is used for age, but French uses a different word, années, when talking about the duration of time or a span of years.
- In France, it is common to use the phrase quel âge as-tu ? when speaking to children, but adults often use the formal quel âge avez-vous ? even if they have known the person for some time.
Examples in context
- Je suis âgé de trente ans.I am aged thirty years.
- J'ai quarante-deux ans.I am forty-two years old.
- J'ai vingt ans.I am twenty years old.
