ans
The French phrase for "years old" is ans.
In French, ans is used to state the age of a person or a thing. To express how old someone is, you use the verb avoir (to have) rather than the verb "to be".
How does it change in a sentence?
When stating age, you use the structure avoir … ans (to have … years old). The word ans is the plural form, while the singular form is an, which is used when referring to a single year of age.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the verb être (to be) to state age, such as saying Il est six ans. In French, you must use avoir (to have) instead.
Did you know?
- In very formal or literary French, the word ans can be replaced by printemps (springs) to poetically describe someone's age.
- In French, the word an is often used for a specific, completed year, such as 'the year 2024', whereas année describes the duration or the contents of that year.
- When speaking about an infant, French speakers often use the word mois (months) until the child is one an old. It is culturally common to be much more precise about a baby's age than in English.
Examples in context
- Il a six ans.He's six years old.This sentence is useful for showing how to use ans to say someone is six years old.Tatoeba #8030896 by theachaean, translation #11735943 by ddnktr
- Il a huit ans.He's eight years old.This sentence is useful for showing how to use ans to say someone is eight years old.Tatoeba #130651 by gillux, translation #2762773 by CK
- Il a sept ans.He's seven years old.This sentence is useful for showing how to use ans to say someone is seven years old.Tatoeba #8030897 by theachaean, translation #13120160 by rul
- J'ai trente ans.I am thirty years old.
- Je suis âgé(e) de cinquante ans.I am fifty years old.
- J'ai atteint l'âge de soixante-dix ans.I have reached the age of seventy years.
- 316 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Gabriel are talking about a new neighbor.
- LéaQuel âge a le nouveau voisin ?How old is the new neighbor?
- GabrielIl a dix ans.He is ten years old.
- LéaIl est très jeune !He is very young!
- GabrielOui, il a seulement dix ans.Yes, he is only ten years old.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
