il y a des années
The English phrase "years ago" is translated into French as il y a des années.
il y a des années is used to refer to a period of time in the past.
Which one should you use?
il y a des années is used for an indefinite number of years, whereas il y a X années is used when specifying a precise number of years.
Did you know?
- In French, the concept of 'ago' is expressed using a structure that literally translates to 'there is'.
- The verb component in il y a comes from the Latin 'habet', meaning 'he has', which is why the phrase once carried a sense of possession.
- While il y a des années refers to the past, adding the word depuis can change the meaning to 'for years', indicating an action that started in the past and is still continuing.
Examples in context
- C'était il y a des années.That was years ago.This sentence shows how to identify a past event as having happened years ago.Tatoeba #12353 by engone, translation #442962 by CK
- J'aurais dû faire ça il y a des années.I should have done this years ago.This sentence demonstrates using the phrase to express regret about something not done years ago.Tatoeba #3545049 by sacredceltic, translation #3538413 by Hybrid
- Tu aurais dû faire ça il y a des années.You should've done that years ago.This sentence uses the phrase to tell someone they should have completed a task years ago.Tatoeba #11144421 by Aiji, translation #6252363 by CK
- Il y a plusieurs années, j'ai visité Paris pour la première fois.Several years ago, I visited Paris for the first time.
- Il y a des années de ça, nous avons fait ce voyage ensemble.Years ago, we took that trip together.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Léa are talking about an old photo.
- NathanOn s'est rencontrés il y a des années, non ?We met years ago, didn't we?
- LéaOui, c'était une époque très différente.Yes, it was a very different time.
- NathanTu te souviens de notre premier voyage ?Do you remember our first trip?
- LéaBien sûr, c'était un moment magique.Of course, it was a magical moment.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, des, il, y, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
