French Time Markers: Using 'il y a' and 'dernier' for Past Events
Learn to say when past events happened in French using 'il y a' (ago) and 'dernier/dernière' (last), with clear examples and practice.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
In French, to say how long ago something happened, you use 'il y a' followed by a time expression. For example, 'I saw her two days ago' becomes 'Je l'ai vue il y a deux jours.' This is different from 'hier' (yesterday), which is a single word. You also need 'dernier' or 'dernière' for 'last' (e.g., 'last week'). This lesson teaches you to place past events accurately in time.
By the end, you can…
- use 'il y a' with time expressions to say how long ago something happened.
- use 'dernier' or 'dernière' to talk about last week, month, or year.
- distinguish between 'hier' and other past time markers.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
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Je l'ai vue il y a deux jours.
I saw her two days ago.
zhuh lay vew eel yah duh zhoor
Use 'il y a' + time expression. 'Vue' agrees with the feminine direct object 'la' (her).
Il est parti il y a une semaine.
He left a week ago.
eel ay par-tee eel yah ewn suh-men
'Il y a' works with any subject. 'Une semaine' means 'one week'.
Nous avons déménagé il y a trois mois.
We moved three months ago.
noo zah-vohn day-may-nah-zhay eel yah trwah mwah
Use with plural time expressions like 'trois mois'.
La semaine dernière, j'ai visité Paris.
Last week, I visited Paris.
lah suh-men dair-nyair, zhay vee-zee-tay pah-ree
'Dernière' agrees with feminine 'semaine'. Place it after the noun.
Le mois dernier, il a plu beaucoup.
Last month, it rained a lot.
luh mwah dair-nyay, eel ah plew boh-koo
'Dernier' is masculine and follows 'mois'. Use for 'last month'.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The structure 'il y a' + [time expression] means 'ago'. It is invariable: 'il y a' never changes. Examples: 'il y a cinq minutes' (five minutes ago), 'il y a deux ans' (two years ago). For 'last', use 'dernier' (masculine) or 'dernière' (feminine) after the noun: 'l'année dernière' (last year), 'le week-end dernier' (last weekend). Note that 'hier' (yesterday) is a single adverb, not used with 'il y a'.
When to use it
Use 'il y a' when you want to say how much time has passed since an event. For example, 'J'ai fini il y a une heure' (I finished an hour ago). Use 'dernier/dernière' to refer to the most recent occurrence of a period: 'la semaine dernière' (last week), 'le mois dernier' (last month). Do not confuse with 'hier' (yesterday) or 'avant-hier' (the day before yesterday), which are specific days. In Quebec French, 'il y a' is standard, but informal speech may drop 'il': 'y a deux jours'.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Tu as vu Marie récemment ?
Have you seen Marie recently?tew ah vew mah-ree ray-sah-monOui, je l'ai vue il y a trois jours.
Yes, I saw her three days ago.wee, zhuh lay vew eel yah trwah zhoorEt son frère ?
And her brother?ay son frairJe l'ai vu le mois dernier.
I saw him last month.zhuh lay vew luh mwah dair-nyayA little context goes a long way
In formal French, always use 'il y a' in full. In informal spoken French, especially in Quebec and parts of France, you may hear 'y a' (e.g., 'y a deux jours'). However, in writing, keep 'il y a'. Also, 'dernier' can mean 'latest' or 'final' depending on context; 'la semaine dernière' means 'last week', while 'la dernière semaine' means 'the final week'.
One thing to watch for
Using 'il y a' with 'hier' (e.g., 'il y a hier').
Try this instead: Do not combine 'il y a' with 'hier'. 'Hier' already means 'yesterday'. Say 'hier' alone: 'Je l'ai vue hier.' For 'ago', use a time expression like 'deux jours': 'Je l'ai vue il y a deux jours.'
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'I arrived two hours ago' in French?
Show a sample answer
Je suis arrivé il y a deux heures.
Use 'il y a' + 'deux heures'. 'Arrivé' may agree with the subject if feminine: 'arrivée'.
2Translate: 'Last year, we traveled to Nice.'
Show a sample answer
L'année dernière, nous avons voyagé à Nice.
'Dernière' agrees with feminine 'année'. You could also say 'L'an dernier' (more formal).
3What is the difference between 'hier' and 'il y a un jour'?
Show a sample answer
'Hier' means 'yesterday' (the day before today). 'Il y a un jour' means 'one day ago' (24 hours ago). They can overlap but are not identical.
'Hier' is a specific day; 'il y a un jour' is a duration. Both are correct in context.
Use 'il y a' + time expression for 'ago', and 'dernier/dernière' after the noun for 'last'. Remember that 'hier' is separate and never used with 'il y a'.
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