# At high school, I learned French for 5 years.



## eni8ma

Are each of these grammatically correct? Does it make a difference whether I put the language before or after the time period?  Is sentence 1 better constructed than sentence 2? What improvements or alternatives can you suggest?

1.
- 在 中学，我 学习 法语 学了 五 个 年。
- At high school, I learned French for 5 years.

2. 
- 在 大学，我 学习 了 一 年 俄语。
- At university, I studied Russian for one year.

3. 
- 几年前，我 学过 一 年 半 的 普通话。
- A few years ago, I was learning Chinese for eighteen months.


----------



## moia

It doesn't make a difference with the different order of words. 
在 中学，我 学习 法语 学了 五 个 年。
Grammatically correct, but sounds unnatural to me. How about 在 中学，我 学习 法语 学了 五 个 年头 or 在 中学，我 学习 法语 学了 五 年?


----------



## eni8ma

moia said:


> It doesn't make a difference with the different order of words.
> 在 中学，我 学习 法语 学了 五 个 年。
> Grammatically correct, but sounds unnatural to me. How about 在 中学，我 学习 法语 学了 五 个 年头 or 在 中学，我 学习 法语 学了 五 年?


- 在 中学，我 学习 法语 学了 五 个 年头。(年头 = year head? what does this mean?)


----------



## moia

年头，年头儿 niántóu,niántóur  解释【year】∶年份 我到北京已经三个年头了 【years】∶时代;年月 这年头工人农民的生活好起来了 【harvest】∶年成;年景 今年又是丰收的好年头


----------



## eni8ma

So 年头 is "consecutive years"?

Otherwise*, the sentences are all good? I'm surprised - was expecting at least one grammatical error 

(* I meant, apart from comments already made )


----------



## SuperXW

eni8ma said:


> Are each of these grammatically correct? Does it make a difference whether I put the language before or after the time period? Is sentence 1 better constructed than sentence 2? What improvements or alternatives can you suggest?
> 
> 1.
> - 在 中学，我 学习 法语 学了 五 个 年。
> - At high school, I learned French for 5 years.
> 
> 2.
> - 在 大学，我 学习 了 一 年 俄语。
> - At university, I studied Russian for one year.
> 
> 3.
> - 几年前，我 学过 一 年 半 的 普通话。
> - A few years ago, I was learning Chinese for eighteen months.


 
a. Are each of these grammatically correct?
The structures are all correct. But *五个年 is wrong*. I don't think we say 五个年 in any circumstance. 年 here is like a measurement unit. *个 should not be used.*
As moia suggested, *五个年头 is more grammatical* because 年头 is the colloquial noun for "year", 个 is necessary before 年头. However, *I think 年头 is more common among northern Chinese, elders, and villagers.(personal experience, not sure)* I feel it's not natural to say "learn a language for 五个年头..."
五年 shoud be your best choice.

b.Does it make a difference whether I put the language before or after the time period?
I don't feel any essential difference.

c.Is sentence 1 better constructed than sentence 2?
Both good except the 五个年 problem.


----------



## eni8ma

SuperXW said:


> a. Are each of these grammatically correct?
> The structures are all correct. But *五个年 is wrong*. I don't think we say 五个年 in any circumstance. 年 here is like a measurement unit. *个 should not be used.*
> As moia suggested, *五个年头 is more grammatical* because 年头 is the colloquial noun for "year", 个 is necessary before 年头. However, *I think 年头 is more common among northern Chinese, elders, and villagers.(personal experience, not sure)* I feel it's not natural to say "learn a language for 五个年头..."
> 五年 should be your best choice.


Thanks 
Revised sentences:
1.
- 在 中学，我 学习 法语 学了 五 年。
- At high school, I learned French for 5 years.

2. 
- 在 大学，我 学习 了 一 年 俄语。
- At university, I studied Russian for one year.

3. 
- 几年前，我 学过 一 年 半 的 普通话。
- A few years ago, I was learning Chinese for eighteen months.


----------



## 中文效应

eni8ma said:


> So 年头 is "consecutive years"?
> 
> Otherwise, the sentences are all good? I'm surprised - was expecting at least one grammatical error


 
You can think like this.
年头 头 means head. A head is the top of a man.
January is the bottom of a year.December the top of a year.
年头 means from the bottom of the year to the top of the year.
It equals a year.
My english is poor.I hope you can understand.


----------



## copyleft

ha, 年头 definitely doesn’t mean “year head”. It’s just a fixed expression.
(I would like to explained that I’m a Chinese student, who is not good at English. )
年头 is not commonly used in daily conversations because it is often used to express a kind of feeling that the time is long, and especially this period is tough, when it means "year(s)". 

I prefer 在中学，我学了五年的法语。And it is better to say that 我在中学学了五年的法语。
In this 2 sentences, the word 的 could be omitted since it just make the sentence read more smoothly (personally speaking). It is grammatically correct if omitted.


----------



## eni8ma

中文效应 said:


> You can think like this.
> 年头       头 means head. head is the top of a man
> January is the bottom of a year. December the top of a year.
> 年头 means from the bottom of the year to the top of the year
> It equals a year.
> My English is poor.I hope you can understand.


Thanks - so not "consecutive years", but "full years" ...


----------



## 中文效应

eni8ma said:


> Thanks - so not "consecutive years", but "full years" ...


No.
年头 and 年 are the same meaning.
10年头=10年=10 years
These 10 years are maybe consecutive,maybe not.


----------



## eni8ma

copyleft said:


> ha, 年头 definitely doesn’t mean “year head”. It’s just a fixed expression.


I know that  I just had no idea what the expression meant, and could not find it in any dictionary 

- 在 中学，我 学了 五 年 法语。(我 在 中学 学了 五 年 法语。)
 - At high school, I learned French for 5 years.

I like this one as well - it's clean and simple . The original was modeling an example from a grammar book (apart from my mistake with 个 年)

I'm thinking I'll keep the location at the front of each sentence, because it sets the time as well - high school, university (soon after high school), then in recent years.

谢谢 大家


----------



## 中文效应

eni8ma said:


> I know that  I just had no idea what the expression meant, and could not find it in any dictionary
> 
> - 在 中学，我 学了 五 年 法语。(我 在 中学 学了 五 年 法语。)
> - At high school, I learned French for 5 years.
> 
> I like this one as well - it's clean and simple . The original was modeling an example from a grammar book (apart from my mistake with 个 年)
> 
> I'm thinking I'll keep the location at the front of each sentence, because it sets the time as well - high school, university (soon after high school), then in recent years.
> 
> 谢谢 大家


I`m sorry there is an error in my expression.
10年头=10年=10years  This is wrong.
10个年头=10年=10years   This is right.


----------



## moia

SuperXW said:


> *I think 年头 is more common among northern Chinese, elders, and villagers.*


If the use of a final "er", 儿话音 that is, is considered standard useage by 北外 teachers, it should be totally acceptable to say 年头 in everyday language.


----------

