چند سالته؟
chand saalete?
To ask "how old are you?" in Persian, you use چند سالته؟ (chand saalete?).
This phrase is a question used to ask someone about their age.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase چند سالته؟ literally translates to "how many years are yours?" The word chand means "how many", saal means "year" and the suffix -te means "are yours".
Which one should you use?
The form چند سالته؟ is the informal way to ask this question, whereas چند سالتونه؟ is the polite or plural version. Additionally, the formal expression Chande sal darid? translates literally to "How many years do you have?"
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Use the informal چند سالته؟ with friends, children or people younger than you. For a polite version suitable for speaking to elders, strangers or a group, use چند سالتونه؟.
How do you pronounce it?
chand saalete?
Did you know?
- The word chand can also mean 'some' or 'a few' when not used as a question, making the same word function as both 'how many' and 'several'.
- In Persian, the concept of age is deeply tied to the Solar Hijri calendar, meaning the 'years' mentioned in chand saalete? follow a calendar based on the spring equinox.
- In Persian culture, asking a stranger their age directly can be seen as intrusive or even rude, even if you use the polite چند سالتونه؟.
Examples in context
- چند سالته؟chand sālote?How old are you?
- میتونم بپرسم چند سالته؟mitunam beporsam chand sālote?Can I ask how old you are?
Example conversation
Two students are meeting for the first time at school.
- محمد Mohammadسلام سارا، من محمد هستم. چند سالته؟salam Sara, man Mohammad hastam. chand salete?Hi Sara, I am Mohammad. How old are you?
- سارا Saraسلام محمد. من دوازده سالمه.salam Mohammad. man davazdah salame.Hi Mohammad. I am twelve years old.
- محمد Mohammadمن هم دوازده سالمه.man ham davazdah salame.I am twelve years old too.
- سارا Saraچه جالب! ما همسن هستیم.che jaleb! ma hamsen hastim.How interesting! We are the same age.
