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Il a fait un looping à trois ans !

Il a fait un looping à trois ans !
He did a loop at three years old!
From Lesson 424:Time duration nouns (an / année, jour / journée)·French

Questions & Answers about Il a fait un looping à trois ans !

Why do we use ans here instead of années?
When expressing someone's age, French always uses ans, never années. We use an for counting strict units of time, like age or a chronological point in time. In contrast, année emphasizes the duration, the span, or the experiences that happen during that time.
Is un looping an English loanword?
Yes! French uses un looping to refer to a loop-the-loop maneuver in an airplane, on a bike, or on a roller coaster. Like most English loanwords ending in -ing (such as le parking or le shampooing), it is a masculine noun.
How does à trois ans translate to "at three years old"?
The structure à [number] ans is the standard, shorthand way to say "at [number] years old" or "when he was [number]." You could also use the slightly more formal à l'âge de trois ans (at the age of three), but this shorter version is extremely common and natural in everyday speech.
Why use the verb faire with a loop?
French relies heavily on faire (to do/make) for performing physical maneuvers, playing sports, or experiencing amusement park rides. Just like you would say faire du vélo for cycling, you say faire un looping to mean "to perform a loop."

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