Basic Ways to Say How Old Are You in Chinese

In Chinese communication culture, you can feel free to talk about age and to ask How old are you Chinese is a common way to begin the story.

Common Phrases for Young Age Groups

The question How old are you in Chinese, in fact, has a lot of ways to ask. Depending on who you are talking to, you can choose an appropriate way to ask them.

1. Asking Kids (Casual & Simple)

You can just use simple phrases to ask children about age
You can just use simple phrases to ask children about age
  • 你几岁了？ (Nǐ jǐ suì le?) – How old are you?
  • 你几岁？ (Nǐ jǐ suì?) – How old are you? (Super casual)
  • 你今年几岁？ (Nǐ jīnnián jǐ suì?) – How old are you this year?
  • 你是哪一年出生的？ (Nǐ shì nǎ yī nián chūshēng de?) – What year were you born?
  • 你上几年级? (Nǐ shàng jǐ niánjí?) – What grade are you in?

2. Asking Teenagers and Young Adults (Neutral & Polite)

你多大了？is an informal question of How old are you in Chinese commonly used among peers
你多大了? is an informal question of How old are you in Chinese commonly used among peers
  • 你多大了？ (Nǐ duō dà le?) – How old are you?
  • 你今年多大？ (Nǐ jīnnián duō dà?) – How old are you this year?
  • 你满18岁了吗？ (Nǐ mǎn shíbā suì le ma?) – Have you turned 18 yet?
  • 你是00后吗？ (Nǐ shì línglíng hòu ma?) – Are you part of Gen Z? (Born after 2000)
  • 你比我大还是比我小？ (Nǐ bǐ wǒ dà háishì bǐ wǒ xiǎo?) – Are you older or younger than me?

Polite Variations

You have to be careful of which one to use depending on the person you’re speaking to
You have to be careful of which one to use depending on the person you’re speaking to

In more formal settings like asking older adults and seniors, you might want to ask How old are you in Chinese in a more polite way.

  • 请问您多大年纪？ (Qǐngwèn nín duō dà niánjì?) – May I ask your age?
  • 您贵庚？ (Nín guì gēng?) – May I ask your esteemed age? 
  • 您是哪一年出生的？ (Nín shì nǎ yī nián chūshēng de?) – What year were you born? 
  • 方便告诉我您的年龄吗？ (Fāngbiàn gàosù wǒ nín de niánlíng ma?) – Would you mind telling me your age?

How to Answer How Old Are You in Chinese

Now that you know how to ask how old are you in Mandarin, you might as well want to find out how to answer the question properly. Here are some common ways to deal with age-related problems in the Chinese language.

Sentence Structures for Age

All you have to do is add the word 岁 (suì) after the number
All you have to do is add the word 岁 (suì) after the number
  • 我XX岁。 (wǒ XX suì) – I am XX years old.

Example: 我25岁。 (Wǒ èrshíwǔ suì.) – I am 25 years old.

  • 我已经XX岁了。 (Wǒ yǐjīng XX suì le.) – I am already XX years old.

Example: 我已经50岁了。 (Wǒ yǐjīng wǔshí suì le.) – I am already 50 years old.

  • 我刚满XX岁。 (Wǒ gāng mǎn XX suì.) – I just turned XX years old.

Example: 我刚满21岁。(Wǒ gāng mǎn 21 suì.) – I just turned 21 years old.

  • 他/她XX岁。 (Tā XX suì.) – He/She is XX years old.

Example:: 他30岁。(Tā 30 suì.) – He is 30 years old.

  • 他比我大XX岁。 (Tā bǐ wǒ dà XX suì.) – He is XX years older than me.

Example: 他比我大3岁。(Tā bǐ wǒ dà sān suì.) – He is 3 years older than me.

Adding Time Reference

In Chinese grammar, time references typically come before the verb
In Chinese grammar, time references typically come before the verb
  • 我今年XX岁。 (Wǒ jīnnián XX suì.) – I am XX years old this year.

Example: 我今年32岁。 (Wǒ jīnnián sānshí’èr suì.) – I am 32 years old this year.

  • 我今年XX大寿。 (Wǒ jīnnián XX dàshòu.) – This year is my XXth birthday celebration.

Example: 我今年60大寿。 (Wǒ jīnnián liùshí dàshòu.) – I am celebrating my 60th birthday this year.

  • 我是XX年出生的。 (Wǒ shì XX nián chūshēng de.) – I was born in the year XX.

Example: 我是1995年出生的。(Wǒ shì 1995 nián chūshēng de.) – I was born in 1995.

  • 去年我XX岁。 (Qùnián wǒ XX suì.) – Last year, I was XX years old.

Example: 去年我29岁。(Qùnián wǒ 29 suì.) – Last year, I was 29 years old.

  • 明年我XX岁。 (Míngnián wǒ XX suì.) – Next year, I will be XX years old.

Example: 明年我30岁。(Míngnián wǒ 30 suì.) – Next year, I will be 30 years old.

  • 到2030年，我XX岁。 (Dào èr líng sān líng nián, wǒ XX suì.) – By 2030, I will be XX years old.

Example: 到2030年，我34岁。(Dào 2030 nián, wǒ 34 suì.) – By 2030, I will be 34 years old.

Related Articles

Congratulations in Chinese

Good Luck in Chinese

Happy New Year in Chinese

How Age is Expressed in Numbers

In Chinese, age is typically expressed using numbers followed by the word “岁” (suì), which means “years old.” When answering How old are you in Chinese with numbers, you need to understand Chinese structure of numbers.

Key Vocabulary for Numbers in Mandarin

The number changes based on the person's age
The number changes based on the person’s age
  • Basic Numbers (0-10): 一 (yī), 二 (èr), 三 (sān), 四 (sì), 五 (wǔ), 六 (liù), 七 (qī), 八 (bā), 九 (jiǒ), 十 (shí)
  • Larger Numbers (10-100): 二十 (èrshí) – Twenty, 三十 (sānshí) – Thirty, 四十 (sìshí) – Forty, 五十 (wǔshí) – Fifty, 六十 (liùshí) – Sixty, 七十 (qīshí) – Seventy, 八十 (bāshí) – Eighty, 九十 (jiǔshí) – Ninety, 一百 (yībǎi) – One hundred

Combining Numbers for Age

Numbers are added together just like in English when talking about age
Numbers are added together just like in English when talking about age
  • 我五岁。 (Wǒ wǔ suì.) – I am 5 years old.
  • 我七十八岁。 (Wǒ qīshíbā suì.) – I am 78 years old.
  • 我二十多岁。 (Wǒ èrshí duō suì.) – I am in my twenties.
  • 她四十岁左右。 (Tā sìshí suì zuǒyòu.) – She is around 40 years old.
  • 我快五十岁了。 (Wǒ kuài wǔshí suì le.) – I am almost 50 years old.
  • 她还不到三十岁。 (Tā hái bú dào sānshí suì.) – She is not even 30 years old yet.

Conclusion

Understanding the different ways to answer the question of how old are you in Chinese is essential for natural conversations, whether you’re introducing yourself, asking about someone’s age, or discussing life stages.

If you’re ready to learn Chinese for daily life, start practicing these age-related phrases with GuruLango since today!