Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| an | /ɑ̃/ | masculine |
| année | /a.ne/ | feminine |
In French, both forms refer to the time it takes for the Earth to complete one revolution around the Sun, but they are used in different contexts. Use the masculine form an when referring to age. Use the feminine form année when you want to emphasize the duration, the content or the quality of the time that passes, such as describing a span of time like a school year.
Which one should you use?
The masculine an is typically used for age, whereas the feminine année is used when emphasizing the span or the content of the period being described.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine noun an becomes ans in its plural form. The feminine noun année becomes années in its plural form.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɑ̃/
What mistakes should you avoid?
When stating your age, do not use année. Instead, use the masculine form an.
Did you know?
- The etymology of année might be linked to the Latin 'annata', which refers to a harvest or the period of a harvest. This connects the passage of a year to the natural cycle of agricultural production.
- The word année is formed by adding the suffix -ée to an. In French, this suffix often transforms a noun into a word that describes the contents or the duration of that thing.
- In French, the concept of a 'light year' is translated as année-lumière. It uses the feminine année because it describes the duration and distance of a span of time.
Examples in context
- Bonne année, Louise !Happy New Year, Louise!This sentence shows how to use année in a greeting.Tatoeba #8718865 by Micsmithel, translation #269365 by CP
- Une année passe vite.A year goes by quickly.This sentence illustrates the use of année to describe the passage of a span of time.Tatoeba #13439997 by felix63, translation #13716000 by zogwarg
- J'y vais tous les ans.I go every year.This sentence demonstrates the use of an to indicate frequency over years.Tatoeba #135279 by dominiko, translation #322472 by CK
- Cette année, nous devons atteindre nos objectifs financiers.This year, we must reach our financial goals.
- L'examen final sera organisé en fin d'année.The final exam will be held at the end of the year.
- On se retrouve l'année prochaine !See you next year!
- J'atteins les 30 ans cette année.I'm turning 30 this year.
- bonne annéeHappy new year
- 1281 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Hugo are talking about their ages.
- ChloéQuel âge as-tu, Hugo ?How old are you, Hugo?
- HugoJ'ai vingt ans.I am twenty years old.
- ChloéTu as le même âge que moi !You are the same age as me!
- HugoC'est super, on a le même âge.That's great, we are the same age.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “year” translations and entries an, année, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries an, année, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
