Quand êtes-vous né ?
In French, "when were you born?" is translated as Quand êtes-vous né ?
This phrase is used to ask someone for the date or year of their birth.
Which one should you use?
The default form Quand êtes-vous né ? uses the 'vous' pronoun, making it suitable for formal situations or for addressing more than one person. For a more casual setting, such as with friends, family or children, you can use Quand es-tu né ?
How does it change in a sentence?
When addressing a woman, you must add an extra 'e' to the end of the past participle to form Quand êtes-vous née ?
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly say Quand avez-vous né ? by trying to translate "have you been born" literally. In French, you must use the verb être (to be) rather than avoir (to have).
Did you know?
- In a social setting, asking Quand êtes-vous né ? can sound overly clinical or like an interrogation, so French speakers prefer to ask about the birthday instead.
- The word né is a distant relative of the English word 'native'. Both words share the same ancient root meaning 'to beget' or 'to give birth'.
- French administrative documents avoid using the verb naître entirely, opting for the noun phrase Date de naissance to request birth information.
Examples in context
- Pardon, quand êtes-vous né ?Excuse me, when were you born?
Example conversation
Emma is filling out a form for Lucas at a clinic.
- EmmaJ'ai besoin de votre date de naissance. Quand êtes-vous né ?I need your date of birth. When were you born?
- LucasJe suis né le 12 mai 1990.I was born on May 12, 1990.
- EmmaMerci, Lucas. C'est noté.Thank you, Lucas. It is noted.
- LucasDe rien, Emma.You're welcome, Emma.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries né, quand, CC BY-SA 4.0.
