quand tu es né
The English phrase "when you were born" is translated into French as quand tu es né.
This phrase refers to the specific time or date of a person's birth. When stating the day of a month, such as the 1st, use the abbreviation 1er.
Which one should you use?
quand tu es né is used in informal settings, whereas quand vous êtes né(e)(s) is used for formal situations or when addressing more than one person.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the auxiliary verb être (to be) rather than avoir (to have). If the person being spoken to is female, the past participle must take an extra e at the end, appearing as quand tu es née. For the formal or plural version, use the pronoun vous and the verb form êtes, resulting in quand vous êtes né(e)(s).
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the verb avoir (to have) instead of être (to be) when forming this phrase.
Did you know?
- The word né is a close relative of the English words 'native' and 'nature', all stemming from the same ancient root for 'giving birth'.
- In French, the phrase être né describes a change of state rather than an action. This conceptual difference is why French uses the verb 'to be' instead of the verb 'to have' to describe birth.
Examples in context
- Tu n'as pas choisi tes parents quand tu es né.You didn't choose your parents when you were born.This sentence uses quand tu es né to discuss the lack of choice in one's parents.Tatoeba #8976019 by Talwit, translation #11669983 by tieguy
- Je suis né(e) le 12 mars 1985.I was born on March 12th, 1985.
- Est-ce qu'il pleuvait quand tu es né ?Was it raining when you were born?
Example conversation
Nathan and Léa are talking about family history.
- NathanTu connais l'année quand tu es né ?Do you know the year when you were born?
- LéaOui, c'était en mille neuf cent quatre-vingt-dix.Yes, it was in 1990.
- NathanC'est une belle année.That is a great year.
- LéaMerci, Nathan !Thank you, Nathan!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries né, quand, tu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
