"Ea are optsprezece ani."
Translation:She is eighteen years old.
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Translated to english this sentence reads; She has eighteen years, when speaking to romanians and asking there age, they have told me they have x number of years, instead of "I am eighteen years old, I think this is worth taking into consideration especially when teaching Romanian speakers the english language.
We don't translate word for word. In all the Romance languages one says, she has (number) years. In Russian they say To her us (number) years. In English we say she is (number) years. It is accurate to translate the phrase and not by word for word.
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I notice this sentence says "optsprezece ani" but a parallel sentence where the age is sixty years says "șaizeci de ani". When does one use "de" between the number and the noun? Or is it optional with all numbers?
You have to use DE for any number above 19. So: Eu am nouăsprezeci an, tu ai douăzeci de ani. Tu ai nouăsprezeci vaci, eu am douăzeci de vaci.
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Because it is not correct English. In English you say "She IS eighteen years old" never "She HAS eighteen years." So you also have to remember when you translate from English to Romanian to change "She is 18..." to "She has 18..." Ea are 18...