Expressions of Age: avoir + number + ans

This grammar rule replaces the English "to be" with the French avoir. The most important thing to remember is that the number doesn't stand alone. In English, we can say "I am 25" and just stop there. In French, you must almost always include the word ans (years). Without it, the sentence feels naked and unfinished. Imagine you are at a cafe and someone asks your age. If you just say J'ai vingt, they might think you have twenty Euros, twenty coffees, or twenty problems! Adding ans anchors the sentence to time. Because we use avoir, you also need to make sure your conjugation is spot on. If you mess up the verb, you might accidentally say something else entirely. For example, Ils ont means "they have," but Ils sont means "they are." Using the wrong one here is like trying to start a car with a house key. It just won't work. Stick with avoir, and you are golden.

1. 1Building an age sentence in French is like following a simple recipe with four ingredients:
2. 2Start with your Subject. This is the person whose age you are discussing (e.g., Je, Tu, Marie).
3. 3Add the correctly conjugated form of avoir. This is the engine of your sentence.
4. 4Drop in the Number. This is how many years have been collected so far.
5. 5Finish with the word ans. This tells everyone you are talking about age.
6. 6Here is how the verb avoir looks for this specific job:
7. 7J'ai (I have)
8. 8Tu as (You have - informal)
9. 9Il / Elle / On a (He / She / One has)
10. 10Nous avons (We have)
11. 11Vous avez (You have - formal or group)
12. 12Ils / Elles ont (They have)
13. 13Put it all together: Subject + Avoir + Number + ans. For example: Elle a vingt ans (She is twenty years old).

Use this structure every single time a number is involved in describing age. It shows up in more places than you might think! Use it when you are introducing yourself at a language exchange. Use it when you are talking about your children or siblings. It is essential when you are checking into a hotel or registering for a class. In professional settings, like a job interview, you might need to state your age or the age of a project you've managed. If you are ordering a "Child's Plate" at a restaurant, you'll need to explain that your kid a six ans. Even in medical contexts, the first thing a nurse will ask is your age. It is the universal way to place yourself on the timeline of life in the French-speaking world. Even if you feel like a teenager at heart, your French sentence must reflect the number of years you've actually clocked in.

Do not use avoir if you are using a general adjective to describe someone's age without a specific number. If you want to say "He is young" or "She is old," you go back to using être. For example, Il est jeune (He is young) or Elle est vieille (She is old). In these cases, you are describing a quality, not a quantity. Also, avoid this structure when talking about the age of inanimate objects like buildings or wine, where you might use different verbs like dater de (to date from). Another trap: don't use it for "in my twenties." That requires a different phrase entirely (la vingtaine). Think of avoir + ans as your specific "counting tool." If you aren't counting the exact years, you probably don't need avoir.

Yes, even native speakers might slip up on spelling, but for you, the biggest risk is "English-brain." The most common error is saying Je suis 20 ans. To a French person, this sounds like you are literally made of twenty years, like a time-ghost! Another mistake is forgetting the s on ans. While you don't usually hear the s (unless there is a liaison), forgetting it in writing is a big red flag. Also, watch out for the number one. If someone is one year old, you say Il a un an (no s on an). Using the plural for a one-year-old is a small but noticeable error. Lastly, don't forget the liaison! When a number ends in a consonant and ans starts with a vowel, the sounds often blend. Six ans sounds like "see-zahn." If you don't blend them, you might sound a bit robotic.

French loves using avoir for things that English uses "to be" for. This isn't just an age thing; it's a whole category of physical and emotional states! If you are hungry, you don't "are" hungry; you avez faim (have hunger). If you are thirsty, you avez soif. If you are hot or cold, you avez chaud or avez froid. Think of avoir as the verb for things that happen *to* your body or things your body *experiences*. Age fits perfectly into this logic. Your body experiences the passage of time, so you "have" the years. On the other hand, être is for things that define who you are fundamentally, like your profession (Je suis professeur) or your nationality (Je suis Américain). Age is a count, not a permanent personality trait (thankfully!).