во́зраст
vózrastmasculine
In Russian, the word for "age" is во́зраст (vózrast).
во́зраст refers to the amount of time that has passed since the birth of a being or the beginning of a thing. It is used to discuss chronological age. For example, you can use the phrase в каком возрасте to ask "at what age" something occurred.
Meaning: amount of time since the birth of a being or the beginning of a thing (noun)
Which one should you use?
While во́зраст refers to chronological age, the word старость is used specifically to refer to the state of being old or "old age".
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The genitive form возраста is used when expressing "of age", such as in the phrase в возрасте (at the age of). When discussing how many years old someone is, the word лет is used to mean "years".
How do you pronounce it?
vózrast
When do people say it?
When responding to a question about your age in an informal setting, you can simply say Уже [number] . (Already [number] .).
Did you know?
- Unlike English, where you 'are' an age, Russian can express age through the phrase мне [number] лет, which literally translates to 'to me [number] years'.
- The word возраст shares a linguistic root with the verb возрастать, meaning 'to grow' or 'to increase'. In Russian, age is conceptually linked to the process of physical growth rather than just a count of years.
- The phrase в возрасте can sometimes be used as a polite euphemism to describe someone who is elderly without using the word старый ('old'). It is similar to saying someone is 'of a certain age' in English.
Examples in context
- Каков ваш возраст? – Мне 30 лет.What is your age? – I am 30 years old.
- Сколько тебе лет? – Мне уже 25.How old are you? – I am already 25.
- В этом возрасте дети очень активны.At this age, children are very active.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “age” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
