Learn French: J'ai vingt ans. - I am twenty years old.

J'ai vingt ans.

I am twenty years old.

Breakdown of J'ai vingt ans.

Questions & Answers about J'ai vingt ans.

Why do we use ai (have) instead of suis (am) to say "I am"?

In French, you don't be an age; you have years! J'ai vingt ans literally means "I have twenty years." This is why you must use the verb avoir (to have) when talking about age rather than être (to be).

Can I just say J'ai vingt like we say "I'm twenty" in English?

No, you must always include the word ans (years). If you just say J'ai vingt, a French speaker will think you are saying "I have twenty..." and will wait for you to say what it is you have twenty of!

Why is it J'ai instead of Je ai?

The word je (I) drops its e and gets an apostrophe whenever the next word starts with a vowel (or a silent 'h'). Since ai starts with an 'a', je ai squeezes together into J'ai to make it flow smoother when speaking.

How do I pronounce vingt ans? Is the 't' in vingt silent?

Usually, the 't' at the end of vingt is silent. But because the next word (ans) starts with a vowel, the 't' wakes up and connects the two words together. It sounds a bit like "van-tahn". This phonetic bridge is called a liaison.