11歳
jūissai
The phrase "eleven years old" in Japanese is 11歳 (jūissai).
This phrase is used to describe a person or animal that has lived for eleven years.
Which one should you use?
While 11歳 is the standard form, you may also see 十一歳 used for formal contexts and 11才 used in informal settings.
How do you pronounce it?
jūissai
Did you know?
- The counter 歳 is based on the concept of a harvest or a crop cycle. In ancient Japan, age was measured by how many harvests a person had seen.
- In traditional Japanese age-counting, a person would have turned eleven at the end of their tenth year, though the modern Western-style system used with 11歳 is now the absolute standard in daily life.
- Japanese has a specific word toshi-tori for an elderly person, derived from the same root 歳 used in 11歳, but using it directly to a stranger can be considered impolite.
Examples in context
- 彼女は十一歳です。She is eleven years old.
- 私はもうすぐ11歳になります。I will be eleven years old soon.
- 私の弟はもうすぐ十一才になります。My younger brother will be eleven years old soon.
Example conversation
Daito and Misaki are talking about their pets.
- 大翔 Hiroto美咲さん、この猫は何歳ですか？Misaki-san, kono neko wa nan sai desu ka?Misaki, how old is this cat?
- 美咲 Misakiこの子はもう11歳ですよ。Kono ko wa mou juu-issai desu yo.This one is already eleven years old.
- 大翔 Hiroto11歳！とても長生きですね。Juu-issai! Totemo nagaiki desu ne.Eleven years old! That's a very long life.
- 美咲 Misakiええ、とても健康です。Ee, totemo kenkou desu.Yes, it is very healthy.
