This is the 80th most frequent French word.
année
"Année" means "year," emphasizing the duration or course of a year.
In this sentence, 'année' refers specifically to the duration of the current year and is used to describe it as a complete and conceptual unit of 12 months.
Cette année a été pleine de surprises.
This year has been full of surprises.
Here, 'année' is utilized to specifically denote the previous year, contextualizing an exact time period in personal experience.
L'année dernière, je suis allé en France.
Last year, I went to France.
In this context, 'année' is used to designate a specific cycle or period, namely the academic year, which spans a particular set of months irrespective of the calendar year.