plus âgé
The English word 'older' is translated into French as plus âgé.
plus âgé is used to describe someone or something that is older in age. To say 'older than' a specific person or object, use the construction plus âgé que.
Meaning: comparative form of old, more old (adj)
Which one should you use?
While plus âgé is the standard way to express being older, plus vieux is a more common and informal alternative used in everyday speech.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective must agree in gender and number with the person or group it describes. Use plus âgée when referring to a single female, plus âgés when referring to a group of men or a mixed-gender group and plus âgées when referring to a group of women.
Did you know?
- When talking about older siblings, French speakers often use the term aîné instead of plus âgé. This word specifically denotes the first-born or the eldest in a family hierarchy.
- While calling a person vieux can be rude, describing a bottle of wine as plus vieux or vieux is actually a compliment. In this context, it suggests the wine has developed a complex and desirable maturity.
- While plus âgé is polite, using the alternative plus vieux to describe a person can sometimes be perceived as insulting or overly blunt, as it emphasizes the state of being 'old' rather than the number of years lived.
Examples in context
- Tom est plus âgé.Tom's older.This sentence shows how to use plus âgé to state that someone is older.Tatoeba #7412074 by lbdx, translation #2111149 by CK
- Ziri est plus âgé.Ziri is older.Tatoeba #10975831 by Amastan, translation #10206924 by Amastan
- Il est plus âgé que moi.He's older than me.This sentence demonstrates the use of plus âgé followed by que to say someone is older than another person.Tatoeba #4718596 by sacredceltic, translation #2485245 by Hybrid
- Le fils de mon voisin est plus âgé que moi.My neighbor's son is older than me.
- Cette église est plus âgée que celle-ci.This church is older than that one.
- Mon frère est plus vieux que moi.My brother is older than me.
- Tes chaussures sont plus vieilles que les miennes.Your shoes are older than mine.
- Ce chien est plus âgé que celui-ci.This dog is older than this one.
- Tu es plus âgé que moi, mais nous nous entendons bien.You are older than me, but we get along well.
- Nous avons cinq ans d'écart.We have a five-year age difference.
- 102 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Léa are talking about their siblings.
- NathanMa sœur est plus âgée que moi.My sister is older than me.
- LéaEt ton frère est plus âgé que toi ?And is your brother older than you?
- NathanNon, il est plus jeune.No, he is younger.
- LéaD'accord, je comprends.Okay, I understand.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
