Chinese phrases
How to say how old are you in Chinese
To ask “How old are you?” in Chinese, say 你多大了？ (nǐ duō dà le), literally “how big are you now?” For a child, ask 你几岁了？ (nǐ jǐ suì le).
你多大了
how old are you?
Asking someone’s age is normal in China. People often ask early, to know who is older and how to address each other.
Ways to say how old are you
你多大了
Everydayhow old are you?
The standard question for adults your age or younger.
你几岁了
Everydayhow old are you? (to a child)
Only for children, up to about ten.
您多大年纪了
Formalhow old are you? (polite)
To an older person, such as a neighbour’s grandparent.
您高寿
Formalmay I ask your age? (very respectful)
To an elderly person, usually about seventy or older. Very respectful, and a little old-fashioned.
你属什么
Everydaywhat’s your zodiac animal?
An indirect way to ask age. The twelve animals repeat every twelve years, so the animal and a look at someone’s face tell you the birth year.
你是几几年的
With friendswhat year were you born?
Very common among young people. The answer is the last two digits of the year.
How to answer
我二十五岁
I’m 25
The number + 岁. No 是.
我二十五
I’m 25
Adults often leave out 岁.
我九五年的
I was born in ’95
The answer to 你是几几年的.
我属猪
I was born in the Year of the Pig
The answer to 你属什么. 1995 was a Year of the Pig.
保密
it’s a secret
A light way not to answer.
Common mistakes
Asking an adult 你几岁了
几 expects a small number, so 你几岁了 is for children. To an adult it sounds like you are talking to a child.
Saying 我是二十五岁
Chinese usually leaves out 是 before an age. Say 我二十五岁 or 我今年二十五.
Translating “how old” as 多老
老 means “old” as in “aged,” so 你多老 is not a question people ask. Chinese asks how “big” you are: 你多大了.
Getting to know a classmate
里昂，你多大了？
Qiqi: Leon, how old are you?
我二十六。你呢？
Leon: I’m 26. And you?
我二十四，那你比我大两岁。
Qiqi: I’m 24, so you’re two years older than me.
