How to Say ‘Ago’ in French
Il y a
eel ee ah
[eel ee ah]
💬 Usage Tip: Tiny phrase, big job: "il y a" usually means "there is/there are," but with time it means "ago," as in "il y a deux jours." French loves this expression.
🇫🇷 In France: When giving medical history, French speakers often use precise time markers like "il y a trois jours," "depuis hier," or "la semaine dernière."
Phrase Breakdown
Il
[eel]
it
Part of the fixed expression “il y a,” which often means “there is/are” or “ago,” not translated literally word by word.
Dans « Il y a », « Il » fait partie d’une expression très fréquente en français.
In “Il y a,” “Il” is part of a very common expression in French.
y
[ee]
there
In “il y a,” this helps form a fixed phrase meaning “there is/are” or, with time, “ago.”
Ici, « y » appartient à l’expression « il y a » utilisée pour parler du temps.
Here, “y” belongs to the expression “il y a” used to talk about time.
a
[ah]
has / is
Form of “avoir” inside the fixed phrase “il y a.” In time expressions, “il y a” means “ago.”
Dans ce contexte, « a » complète « il y a » pour dire « ago » en anglais.
In this context, “a” completes “il y a” to say “ago” in English.
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