French Phrase
J'ai commencé l'année dernière.
Meaning
This phrase uses the passé composé to indicate that an action or event began during the previous calendar year. It describes a completed action of starting something, such as a project, hobby, or professional role.
When to use
Use this phrase when providing a timeline for your activities in interviews, introductions, or casual chats. It is the standard way to reference the beginning of an ongoing or completed endeavor from the prior year.
✦Grammar Breakdown
J'aicommencél'annéedernière
Passé Composé
The phrase uses 'ai' (avoir) and 'commencé' (past participle) to talk about a specific completed action in the past.
Gender Agreement
The adjective 'dernière' is feminine to match the feminine noun 'année'.
🗨In Conversation
Depuis quand joues-tu de la guitare ?
How long have you been playing the guitar?
J'ai commencé l'année dernière.
I started last year.
✕Common Mistakes
Je suis commencé l'année dernière.
The verb 'commencer' uses the auxiliary 'avoir' (ai) rather than 'être' (suis) to form the past tense.
J'ai commencé le dernier an.
While 'an' means year, 'l'année dernière' is the fixed idiomatic expression for 'last year' in this context.
↔Alternatives
Je m'y suis mis l'année passée.
I got into it last year.
J'ai débuté il y a un an.
I started one year ago.
Cultural Tip
French speakers use 'année' instead of 'an' when they want to emphasize the duration or the events that took place within that year. In the context of starting a new habit or job, 'l'année dernière' is almost always preferred over 'l'an dernier'.