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For Life
2007.08.06

Greetings, to the second week of our Grand Tour of Japan's sacred places. We begin with an expression that's sure to serve you well through the years!

Today's Lesson
(500) YEARS OLD   ～歳、～年前のもの

Explanation

  • To say the age of a person, animal, place, or thing, we can use the expression years old, as in:

    　　　The building is 500 years old.

    or

    　　　It is a 500-year-old building.

    When talking about people or animals, two other expressions are also possible. For example, if a child is 5 years old, we can say:

    　　　He is a 5-year-old.

    or simply

    　　　He is 5.
  • 人や動物の年齢、場所や物の年代について話すときには、years old という表現を使います。例えば、The building is 500 years old. と言うと、「その建物は、500年前のものだ」という意味になります。また、It is a 500-year-old building. （それは、500年前の建物だ）と言うこともできます。

    人や動物について話す場合は、さらに2つの別の表現を使うこともできます。例えば、子どもが5歳であるときには、He is a 5-year-old. または、単に He is 5. と言うこともでき、いずれも「彼は5歳だ」という意味になります。

(500) YEARS OLD

examples

  1. The bronze statue in the main hall of the temple is nearly a thousand years old and is a Japanese National Treasure.
  2. After the 700-year-old shrine was destroyed in a fire, plans were made to rebuild it.
  3. She's very well-behaved for a two-year-old, isn't she?
  4. a: How old are you now?
    b: I'm 16.

英会話レッスンWe wish you well!