Asking Someone’s Age
2.1.1. The French Logic
In French, asking someone’s age is different from English.
English structure | french structure | French |
How old are you? | You have what age? | Tu as quel âge ? |
I am twenty years old. | I have twenty years. | J’ai vingt ans. |
French uses the verb avoir, meaning to have, when talking about age.
2.1.2. Main Questions
Tu as quel âge ? | How old are you? informal |
Vous avez quel âge ? | How old are you? formal or plural |
Quel âge as-tu ? | How old are you? informal, more formal structure |
Quel âge avez-vous ? | How old are you? formal |
2.1.3. Main Answer Pattern
J’ai ___ ans. | I am ___ years old. |
J’ai vingt ans. | I am twenty years old. |
J’ai vingt et un ans. | I am twenty-one years old. |
J’ai trente ans. | I am thirty years old. |
Literally, J’ai vingt ans means I have twenty years.
2.1.4. Important Warning
Je | Don’t say this. French does not use être for age. |
J’ai vingt ans. | Say this. I am twenty years old. |
2.1.5. Examples
J’ai dix-huit ans. | I am eighteen years old. |
J’ai dix-neuf ans. | I am nineteen years old. |
J’ai vingt ans. | I am twenty years old. |
J’ai vingt et un ans. | I am twenty-one years old. |
J’ai vingt-deux ans. | I am twenty-two years old. |
J’ai trente ans. | I am thirty years old. |
J’ai soixante-neuf ans. | I am sixty-nine years old. |
2.1.6. Mini Conversation: Informal
A : Tu as quel âge ? | A: How old are you? |
B : J’ai vingt ans. Et toi ? | B: I am twenty years old. And you? |
A : J’ai vingt et un ans. | A: I am twenty-one years old. |
2.1.7. Mini Conversation: Formal
A : Vous avez quel âge ? | A: How old are you? |
B : J’ai trente ans. Et vous ? | B: I am thirty years old. And you? |
A : J’ai vingt-neuf ans. | A: I am twenty-nine years old. |
2.1.8. Key Vocabulary
avoir | to have |
j’ai | I have |
tu as | you have, informal |
vous avez | you have, formal or plural |
quel âge | what age |
un âge | an age |
ans | years, used for age |
et toi ? | and you? informal |
et vous ? | and you? formal |
2.1.9. Core Patterns
Tu as quel âge ? | How old are you? informal |
Vous avez quel âge ? | How old are you? formal or plural |
J’ai ___ ans. | I am ___ years old. |
J’ai vingt ans. | I am twenty years old. |
2.1.10. Practice
Translate into French.
How old are you? informal |
How old are you? formal |
I am eighteen years old. |
I am twenty-one years old. |
I am thirty years old. |
And you? informal |
And you? formal |
2.1.11. Answers
How old are you? informal | Tu as quel âge ? |
How old are you? formal | Vous avez quel âge ? |
I am eighteen years old. | J’ai dix-huit ans. |
I am twenty-one years old. | J’ai vingt et un ans. |
I am thirty years old. | J’ai trente ans. |
And you? informal | Et toi ? |
And you? formal | Et vous ? |
2.1.12. Short Dialogue
A : Salut ! Tu as quel âge ? | A: Hi! How old are you? |
B : J’ai vingt ans. Et toi ? | B: I am twenty years old. And you? |
A : J’ai vingt et un ans. | A: I am twenty-one years old. |
B : D’accord ! | B: Okay! |
2.1.13. Checkpoint
By the end of this lesson, you should be able to ask someone’s age using tu or vous, answer with j’ai + number + ans, and understand why French uses avoir instead of être for age.
2.1.14. Try It Out
Try saying this in French:
How old are you?
I am [your age number] years old.
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