años
/AN-yohs/
📝 In Action
Tengo treinta años.
A1I am thirty years old.
Viví en Argentina por dos años.
A1I lived in Argentina for two years.
La garantía del coche dura cinco años.
A2The car's warranty lasts for five years.
En los años ochenta, la moda era muy diferente.
B1In the eighties, fashion was very different.
💡 Grammar Points
It's the Plural of 'año'
'Años' is simply the plural of 'año' (year). You use 'años' whenever you are talking about more than one year.
Use 'tener' (to have) for Age
A big difference from English! To say how old you are, use the verb 'tener'. For example, 'Tengo veinte años' means 'I am twenty years old', but it literally translates to 'I have twenty years'.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Pronouncing 'ñ' vs. 'n'
Mistake: "Saying 'anos' (AH-nohs) instead of 'años' (AHN-yohs)."
Correction: The wavy line (tilde) over the 'ñ' is crucial. It makes a 'ny' sound, like in 'canyon'. The word 'anos' without it means 'anuses', so this is a very important difference to learn!
Using 'ser' (to be) for Age
Mistake: "Soy veinte años."
Correction: Always use 'tener' for age. Think of it as 'having' or 'possessing' years of life. The correct way is: 'Tengo veinte años'.
⭐ Usage Tips
How to Ask Someone's Age
To ask a friend their age, you say, '¿Cuántos años tienes?' This literally means 'How many years do you have?'
Talking About Decades
You can talk about a decade by saying 'los años' followed by the number, like 'los años noventa' for 'the nineties'.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: años
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly says 'I am 25 years old' in Spanish?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I use 'tener' for age instead of 'ser'?
It's a great question! Think of it as a different cultural perspective. In English, age is a state of being ('I am 20'), while in Spanish, it's something you possess or have accumulated ('I have 20 years'). It's a fixed rule you just have to memorize, and it's one of the most common ways to spot a beginner, so getting it right will make you sound much more natural!
Is the 'ñ' in 'años' really that important?
Yes, it's extremely important! Pronouncing 'años' with a regular 'n' sound creates the word 'anos', which means 'anuses'. This is one of the most famous and common mistakes for English speakers, so practicing the 'ny' sound of the 'ñ' is well worth the effort to avoid an embarrassing situation.