Grammar 1: Say Age in Chinese · HSK 1suì 岁 year (old); age Show
You can use 岁 to ask and say age in Chinese. Here's how we say someone's age in Chinese: someone + number + 岁 For examples:
Grammar 2: Ask Age in Chinese · HSK 1There are many different ways to say how old are you in Chinese. Today we'll mainly learn two of them: (1) nǐ duō dà 你多大？ how old are you We can use “你多大？” to ask age when they are not a child, or when they are not a senior citizen. (2) nǐ jǐ suì 你几岁？how old are you We can use “你几岁？” to ask age when someone is a child or sometimes a teenager. But if we are asking a person who is a senior and who we want to be polite with, here are two more appropriate ways using 您, the polite way to say 你:
Grammar 3: Question Word 几 and 多· HSK 1jǐ 几 what number; which number 几 is a question pronoun. It refers to a number generally under 10,sometimes under around 15 or at the most under 20. duō 多 how much 多 is an adverb and a question word. We can use 多 + adj. to ask a question about "how + adj." Age is one of the most common things you can talk about in China (not a taboo topic at all). You can easily use 岁 (suì) to say and ask age in Chinese. It works like “years old” in English in some way, but there are a few differences that beginners in Chinese might overlook. In this article, we’ll explore how to express age with 岁 (suì) properly in Chinese. Let’s get started! Saying Age in ChineseSaying your age couldn’t be easier in Chinese, all you have to do is add the word 岁 (suì), meaning “years of age” after the number. Patternsubject + number + 岁 (suì) This is like saying “someone is … years old” in English. Let’s look at some examples!
 Don’t forget to switch to 两 (liǎng) from 二 (èr) when you want to express “2 years old”! Read this if you don’t know why. Keep in mind that 岁 (suì) is the measure word for age by itself, as “the year” of age. You don’t need another measure word before the 岁 (suì).
Alert! NEVER use 是 (shì) or 有 (yǒu) to express age! Rookie Mistake! In some languages, you need to use the verb 是 (shì) or 有 (yǒu) in the sentence to express age. But that would be wrong in Chinese.
Use 半 (bàn) to Express “and a half” in AgeThe word for “half” is 半 (bàn) in Chinese. Simply add 半 (bàn) after 岁 (suì) if you want to say “… and a half years old”. Patternsubject + number + 岁 (suì) + 半 (bàn) Examples:
Asking Age In ChineseNow that you know how to say your age in Chinese, you might as well want to find out how to ask other people’s age. In Chinese, there are actually several ways to do it. However, as with many expressions in Chinese, you have to be careful of which one to use depending on the person you’re speaking to. Now, I’ll explain the three most common ways of saying “How old are you?” in Chinese and when to use them. Two Formal Ways of Asking “How old are you?” in ChineseThere are two standard ways of saying “How old are you?” in Chinese:
Literally, both expressions mean “You (are) how many years of age?”, but they are used for people of different ages. 1. For Kids: 你几岁？ (Nǐ jǐ suì?)You can use “你几岁？(Nǐ jǐ suì?)” to ask age when someone is a child or sometimes a teenager. It’s certainly not used between adults.
Why can’t you use 几岁 (jǐ suì) for adults? If you didn’t know yet, there are two question words for asking “how many” in Chinese: 几 (jǐ) and 多少 (duōshǎo). 几 (jǐ) is used only when you expect the number in the answer is small (generally under 10, sometimes under around 15 or at the most under 20). Therefore, it would be inappropriate to use this expression to ask the age of an adult in Chinese. 2. For Adults: 你多少岁？ (Nǐ duōshǎo suì?)Now, the other question word 多少 (duōshǎo) can be used to ask about any uncertain number, so if you want to ask an adult’s age in Chinese, you need to say “你多少岁？ (Nǐ duōshǎo suì?)” (it’s not used for kids, as you certainly expect the number in the answer to be small). But if you are asking a person who is a senior or older than you, it’s more appropriate to use the honorific 您 (nín) in the question to show politeness: 您多少岁？(Nín duōshǎo suì?) You may also use 您 (nín) to people who are younger than you because you want to be polite.
Casual Way of Asking “How old are you?” in ChineseIf you are still (hopefully not) troubled by 几 (jǐ) and 多少 (duōshǎo), then 你多大？(nǐ duō dà?) is your saver. This casual, friendly way of asking “how old are you?” is commonly used for people of all ages. For Anyone: 你多大？(nǐ duō dà?)The literal translation of 你多大？(nǐ duō dà?) is “You, how big?”. Sounds weird? Well, this expression is not used to ask your physical size, but your age. You can use it for adults as well as kids. Just remember to switch to the honorific 您 whenever you want to be polite and maintain a level of respect: 您多大？(nín duō dà?)
Quick Recap: Saying and Asking Age in ChineseSaying age in Chinese is straightforward. Simply add a 岁 (suì) at the end of the number and you’re all good (don’t forget to drop the verbs in the sentence as well). There are three common ways of asking age in Chinese, to people of different ages.
Remember, grammar is the glue that holds the pieces of language together, so don’t forget to check other grammar articles on ImproveMandarin.Com’s Grammar Channel! 谢谢 (xièxie) for reading this post! How do u say how old are u in Chinese?“你多大了？” (nǐ duō-dà le?)
How do you ask age in Chinese?Grammar 2: Ask Age in Chinese · HSK 1
We can use “你多大？” to ask age when they are not a child, or when they are not a senior citizen. We can use “你几岁？” to ask age when someone is a child or sometimes a teenager.
What is the meaning of NI Ji Sui?The Chinese word Ni ji sui le - 你几岁了 - Nĭ jí sùi le. (How old are you? in Chinese)
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How old are you in Chinese
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