Question 1

The lesson is about il y a (ago). Could I say il y a un an to mean the same thing?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Il y a un an means 'a year ago', which is very similar to l'année dernière (last year). However, they are used slightly differently, just like in English. Use l'année dernière for a specific calendar time in the past, and il y a un an to count back exactly one year from today.

Question 2

Why does dernière come after année here?

Accepted Answer

The position of dernier/dernière changes its meaning! When placed after a time word like année (year) or semaine (week), it means 'last' as in the previous one (l'année dernière = last year). If you put it before the noun (la dernière année), it means 'the final year' (like the final year of high school).

Question 3

Why is there an 's' at the end of allés?

Accepted Answer

Because the verb aller (to go) uses être as its helping verb in the past tense (le passé composé). When a verb uses être, the main action word (the past participle) has to match the subject. Since nous (we) is plural, we add an 's' to allé to make it allés. (Note: If 'we' refers to an all-female group, it would be allées).

Question 4

Why do we say en Italie instead of à Italie to mean 'to Italy'?

Accepted Answer

In French, the preposition you use for 'to' or 'in' a country depends on the country's gender. Italie is a feminine country (most countries ending in 'e' are). For feminine countries, or any country starting with a vowel, you must use en.

L'année dernière, nous sommes allés en Italie.

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