What does being 20 in France signify?

Celsian · #1 02-16-2007, 01:10 PM

I guess something is lost in the translation of J'ai pas vingt ans. Can someone tell me why she's telling us she's not 20?

P.S. I love this site! Long time viewer first time poster.

Ben · #2 02-16-2007, 01:22 PM

It's not any legal age (drinking, smoking, driving, voting, etc.), if that's what you mean... I think in most cultures 20 is seen as a kind of beginning of adulthood though. The song's about the joys of being young. Of course it was also partly in response to Lorie's A 20 ans - a song about how great it is to be twenty.

RMJ · #3 02-16-2007, 01:43 PM

Yea, basically it's about turning from teen to adult. In many languages, it literally means change. Like in English, you will not have that "-teen" to carry on your age anymore. It has symbolic meaning still even tho it of course doesn't literally mean that you are teen just those ages from 13 to 19. French language doesn't have that weight of the term, but since French people are affected by rest of the world, I wouldn't be surprised them to think 19 as "end of teen years".

ProjectJh · #4 02-16-2007, 01:52 PM

My mate is twenteen... ha!

Celsian · #5 02-16-2007, 08:21 PM

Thanks guys! = )

Roman · #6 02-23-2007, 06:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ProjectJh

My mate is twenteen... ha!

Ok, neither your response nor the video makes much sense. Ok, maybe it does, but the video as hilarious as it is (it is hilarious) is not relevant here. So there.

marik · #7 07-03-2007, 04:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ProjectJh

My mate is twenteen... ha!

awesome sig Project! freakin awesome!

that was funny!

badog7 · #8 02-16-2007, 08:53 PM

Hey Im still a teenage driver - like Spartan 500- I go fast!
Vive Alizee

Edcognito · #9 02-16-2007, 10:34 PM

I never thought to ask when i was in Marseille back in 1984, but what is the drinking age in France?

When i was there, no-one that i'm aware of ever got asked for thier ID when we went to a bar. I went out with a couple of my Gunners who were both 19 yrs. old (and looked younger), we never got asked for ID in Marseille, Toulon, Nice - nothing. Just wondering here.

<edit> We were all assigned to a US Navy Frigate (USS AYLWIN / FF-1081) - so did our being in the military have anything to do with it?

Thanks

Ed

RMJ · #10 02-17-2007, 01:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edcognito

I never thought to ask when i was in Marseille back in 1984, but what is the drinking age in France?

16.

So, it's two years lower than in most of the countries. In like 90% of countries it's 18, and in the rest of them it's below it (well, Japan and some Arab countries are exceptions), usually 16 or 17 .