In French, you don’t “be” a certain age — you “have” years. The expression avoir … ans is essential
for introductions and everyday conversations.
| French |
IPA |
English |
| J’ai vingt ans. |
[ʒe vɛ̃.tɑ̃] |
I am twenty years old. |
| Elle a trente ans. |
[ɛl a tʁɑ̃.tɑ̃] |
She is thirty years old. |
| Nous avons quarante ans. |
[nu.za.vɔ̃ ka.ʁɑ̃.tɑ̃] |
We are forty years old. |
Asking About Age
| French |
IPA |
English |
| Quel âge avez-vous? |
[kɛ.laʒ a.ve vu] |
How old are you? (formal) |
| Tu as quel âge? |
[ty a kɛ.laʒ] |
How old are you? (informal) |
| Quel âge a votre fils? |
[kɛ.laʒ a vɔtʁ fis] |
How old is your son? |
Common Mistakes
| ❌ Wrong |
✓ Correct |
Why |
| Je suis 25 ans |
J’ai 25 ans |
Use avoir, not être |
| J’ai 25 années |
J’ai 25 ans |
Use ans, not années for age |
| Quel âge es-tu? |
Quel âge as-tu? |
Use avoir, not être |
Practice Sentences
-
J’ai vingt-cinq ans.
[ʒe vɛ̃t.sɛ̃.kɑ̃]
I am twenty-five years old.
-
Quel âge avez-vous? — J’ai trente-deux ans.
[kɛ.laʒ a.ve vu ʒe tʁɑ̃t.dø.zɑ̃]
How old are you? — I am thirty-two.
-
Ma fille a huit ans et mon fils a cinq ans.
[ma fij a ɥi.tɑ̃ e mɔ̃ fis a sɛ̃.kɑ̃]
My daughter is eight and my son is five.
-
Tu as quel âge? — J’ai presque trente ans.
[ty a kɛ.laʒ ʒe pʁɛsk tʁɑ̃.tɑ̃]
How old are you? — I’m almost thirty.
-
Joyeux anniversaire! Tu as quel âge maintenant?
[ʒwa.jø.za.ni.vɛʁ.sɛʁ ty a kɛ.laʒ mɛ̃t.nɑ̃]
Happy birthday! How old are you now?
Exercise: Talk About Age
Translate the following sentences into French:
- I am 22 years old. → _______
- How old are you? (formal) → _______
- She is 40 years old. → _______
- How old is your brother? → _______
- We are 30 years old. → _______
Answers
- J’ai vingt-deux ans. [ʒe vɛ̃t.dø.zɑ̃]
- Quel âge avez-vous? [kɛ.laʒ a.ve vu]
- Elle a quarante ans. [ɛl a ka.ʁɑ̃.tɑ̃]
- Quel âge a votre frère? / Ton frère a quel âge?
- Nous avons trente ans. [nu.za.vɔ̃ tʁɑ̃.tɑ̃]