ans
The English phrase "years" is translated into French as ans.
ans is the plural form of a period of twelve months used to measure age or time. In certain contexts, ans can be used instead of année to mean "year".
Which one should you use?
While both ans and années can translate to "years", they are used differently. ans is used for counting age or specific quantities. In contrast, années is used to emphasize the duration or the quality of the time that has passed, such as in the phrase les bonnes années.
How does it change in a sentence?
The singular form of ans is an. Use an for a single year and ans for multiple years.
What mistakes should you avoid?
When simply stating an age, such as "Il a dix ans", English speakers often mistakenly use années instead of ans.
Did you know?
- In French, age is expressed using the verb avoir, meaning 'to have', rather than 'to be'. A person does not 'be' ten ans, they 'have' ten ans.
- The word ans originates from the Latin annus, which is also the root for the English word 'anniversary'.
- While you use ans for your age, you might use the related word millésime to describe the 'year' a specific wine was produced.
Examples in context
- Il a six ans.He's six years old.This sentence is useful for stating a person's age using ans.Tatoeba #8030896 by theachaean, translation #11735943 by ddnktr
- Il a huit ans.He's eight years old.Tatoeba #130651 by gillux, translation #2762773 by CK
- Il a sept ans.He's seven years old.Tatoeba #8030897 by theachaean, translation #13120160 by rul
- mille sept cent soixante-seize1776
- mille neuf cent dix-huit1918
- deux mille un2001
- deux mille vingt-deux2022
- mille neuf cent quarante-cinq1945
- 1279 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Chloé are talking about their ages.
- HugoQuel âge as-tu, Chloé ?How old are you, Chloé?
- ChloéJ'ai vingt ans.I am twenty years old.
- HugoMoi, j'ai vingt-deux ans.Me, I am twenty-two years old.
- ChloéTu es plus vieux que moi !You are older than me!
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
