בן כמה אתה?
ben kama ata?
The English phrase "how old are you?" is translated into Hebrew as בן כמה אתה? (ben kama ata?)
This phrase is used to ask someone about their age. You may also hear the informal way to ask "What is your age?" when addressing a female as מָה הַגִּיל שֶׁלֶּךְ?
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase בן כמה אתה? literally translates to "son of how much are you?"
Which one should you use?
The forms differ based on the gender of the person you are addressing. Use בן כמה אתה? when speaking to a male and בת כמה את? when speaking to a female.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word for "old" (the first word of the phrase) must agree with the gender of the person being addressed. For example, do not use the masculine בן with the feminine את.
How do you pronounce it?
ben kama ata?
What mistakes should you avoid?
A common mistake is using the masculine בן with the feminine את. Ensure that the word for "son/old" matches the gender of the person you are talking to.
Did you know?
Example conversation
Two people are meeting for the first time at a park.
- איתי Itayנעים להכיר, בן כמה אתה?Naim lehakir, ben kama ata?Nice to meet you, how old are you?
- רוטם Rotemאני בת שבעה עשר.Ani bat shvaaasar.I am seventeen.
- איתי Itayאני בן שמונה עשר.Ani ben shmoneaasar.I am eighteen.
- רוטם Rotemאז אתה יותר גדול ממני.Az ata yoter gadol mimeni.So you are older than me.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries אתה, בן, כמה, CC BY-SA 4.0.
