Mistakes will always be made in French, and now you can learn from them.
Wrong: Je suis 25 ans
Right: J'ai 25 ans
Explanation: As every beginning student knows, the French translation of "to be" is être. However, a lot of English expressions with "to be" are equivalent to French expressions with avoir (to have). "To be ___ (years old)" is one of these expressions: "I am 25 (years old)" is not "je suis 25" or "je suis 25 ans," but rather j'ai 25 ans. This is just something you have to memorize, along with j'ai chaud (I'm hot), j'ai faim (I'm hungry), and all the rest. Note also that the word ans (years) is required.
Related lessons: Expressions with avoir | Expressions with être
Je suis 25 ans - French Mistake
French mistakes analyzed and explained
By Laura K. Lawless, About.com Guide
Language and Learning
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