How to say your age in French: j'ai 30 ans, not je suis

Quick test. How do you say I'm thirty in French? If your first idea was je suis trente ans, you are in very good company: it is the mistake we hear most often in a first week of French, from teenagers and engineers alike. The good news is that it disappears the day you understand why French says it differently.

In French, you have your age

English uses to be for age: I am thirty. French uses avoir, to have, followed by the number and the word ans, years. Literally, you say that you have thirty years.

Avoir in the present tense

Before anything else, avoir has to be automatic. It is irregular, and you will use it hundreds of times a day, so learn the six forms by heart and say them out loud.

Asking someone's age

The question uses the same verb. There are three ways to ask, from relaxed to formal, and the one you choose tells the other person how close you feel to them.

The same logic, everywhere

Once you know that French has its age, a whole family of expressions makes sense. Where English says I am for a feeling or a physical state, French very often says I have. These are among the most useful sentences you will learn this year, and they all follow the pattern of j'ai trente ans.

Where English says I am, French often says I have. Learn the pattern once, and ten sentences come with it.

Say it out loud

Grammar becomes French only when you say it. Read each sentence below out loud, three times, then cover the French and say it from the English. This is exactly how the speaking guides work: five sentences a day, out loud, until they come without thinking.

Test yourself

Your routine for this week

1. MondayLearn the six forms of avoir out loud, in order, then out of order.
2. Tuesday to ThursdayEach morning, say your age, the age of three people you know, and how you feel: j'ai faim, j'ai sommeil.
3. FridayAsk someone their age in French, a teacher, a friend or a classmate. Use tu or vous on purpose.

Words to remember

le, un: masculinela, une: feminineTap ☆ to save a word to My words

• l'âgeage · masculineTu as quel âge ?
• un ana year · masculineJ'ai trente ans.
• la faimhunger · feminineJ'ai faim.
• la soifthirst · feminineTu as soif ?
• la peurfear · feminineIl a peur du noir.
• le sommeilsleep · masculineJ'ai sommeil ce soir.
• la grand-mèregrandmother · feminineMa grand-mère a 90 ans.
• la têtethe head · feminineJ'ai mal à la tête.

Expressions to remember

• avoir … ansto be … years oldElle a vingt ans.
• avoir raison / avoir tortto be right / wrongTu as raison.
• avoir besoin deto needJ'ai besoin d'un café.
• avoir envie deto feel likeOn a envie de sortir.
• avoir mal àto have a pain inJ'ai mal au dos.
• Quel âge avez-vous ?How old are you? (polite)Quel âge avez-vous, madame ?

Go furtherGrammar to Speaking, Vol. 1, lesson 1: être and avoir