deux ans
The English phrase "two years" is translated into French as deux ans.
The phrase is used to denote a period of time lasting two years. You may also encounter specific variations such as Au bout de deux ans to mean "at the end of two years", or Deux ans chrono to mean "two years flat".
Which one should you use?
While an is the word used for counting years, the word année is used when you want to emphasize the duration or the specific content of the year itself.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In France, the colloquialism deux ans tout pile is used to mean exactly two years.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word ans is the plural form of an (year) and is used when counting years.
Did you know?
- In French, you do not use the verb 'to be' when saying someone is deux ans old, but rather the verb avoir, meaning 'to have'.
- Using chrono in deux ans chrono is a slangy shortening of chronomètre, the French word for 'stopwatch'.
- If a French speaker refers to deux années instead of deux ans, they are often emphasizing the hardship or the events that happened during those two years.
Examples in context
- Il a vingt-deux ans.He's twenty-two years old.This sentence shows how to use deux ans when stating someone's age.Tatoeba #8030938 by theachaean, translation #11461956 by ddnktr
- La guerre dura deux ans.The war lasted two years.This sentence uses deux ans to describe the duration of a war.Tatoeba #1517091 by Rovo, translation #45733 by CK
- Ça a pris deux ans à faire.It took two years to make.This sentence uses deux ans to describe how long a task took to complete.Tatoeba #3745536 by sacredceltic, translation #3719388 by Hybrid
- Je vais étudier le français pendant deux ans.I am going to study French for two years.
- Après deux ans de travail acharné, j'ai enfin obtenu mon diplôme.After two years of hard work, I finally got my degree.
- 156 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Lucas are talking about their university studies.
- EmmaDepuis combien de temps étudies-tu ici ?How long have you been studying here?
- LucasJe suis ici depuis deux ans maintenant.I have been here for two years now.
- EmmaC'est super, tu aimes ta formation ?That's great, do you like your program?
- LucasOui, j'adore tout ce que j'apprends.Yes, I love everything I am learning.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
