Je suis vs. J'ai

Question

Hi, I'm a beginner in French and I always get confused in using Je suis and J'ai. In my head (which thinks in English), sentences like 'I am 20 years old' is not 'Je suis vingt ans' but 'J'ai vingt ans' which literally means 'I have 20 years old'. Is there are hard rule when to use Je suis or J'ai in a sentence?

Chris Wirt · Accepted Answer

J'ai = I have.Je suis = I am.
That said, not always when you would say "I am" in English, is the French translation Je suis. The French say, e.g., I have 20 years (j'ai 20 ans). There are other examples, but they are, all in all, exceptions. Mostly, être and avoir are used as they are in English.
Don't get hung up on this, just continue studying. It will all fall in place eventually.

Céline Pickard · Answer

Bonjour Di,
To supplement Chris's answer, here are two links on idiomatic expressions with être vs avoir:
- Idiomatismes avec avoir
- Idiomatismes avec être
I hope this is helpful.
Bonne journée!

Rick Bhattacharyya · Answer

Hello Di,The difference in usage is a little tough to understand initially, but you tend to get the hang of it by time. For this instance, when people talk about their age, you are right about them saying "J'ai vingt ans" instead of 'Je suis vingt ans". This is because age is considered as an object, and hence the translation becomes "I have gained  many years of life" or, "I have lived for  many years", if that makes sense.I hope this makes sense :)à plus tard!