आपकी उम्र क्या है?
aapki umr kya hai?
How old are you? In Hindi is expressed as आपकी उम्र क्या है? (aapki umr kya hai?)
This phrase is a question used to ask someone about their age. While आपकी उम्र क्या है? is grammatically correct, कितने साल के हैं आप? is a very common and natural way to ask this in spoken Hindi.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase आपकी उम्र क्या है? translates literally to "Your age what is?"
Which one should you use?
The default form आपकी उम्र क्या है? is a formal way to ask how old someone is. Other variations like तुम कितने साल के हो? or तेरी उम्र क्या है? are informal.
How does it change in a sentence?
Replacing the polite aapki with the informal tumhari in the phrase तुम्हारी उम्र क्या है? makes the question less formal.
How do you pronounce it?
aapki umr kya hai?
Did you know?
- The Hindi word for age उम्र was borrowed from Classical Persian and originally came from Arabic.
- In many Indian cultures, asking a person's age directly can be seen as a breach of etiquette if you do not know them well. It is often more polite to ask about their 'life journey' or professional status instead.
- The phrasing कितने साल के हैं आप? literally asks 'How many years of are you?', treating age as a state of being rather than a possession.
Examples in context
- क्या मैं पूछ सकता हूँ, आपकी उम्र क्या है?kya main pooch sakata hoon, aapkee umr kya hai?May I ask, how old are you?
Example conversation
Amit and Neha are meeting for the first time at a community event.
- अमित Amitनमस्ते नेहा, आपकी उम्र क्या है?Namaste Neha, aapki umra kya hai?Hello Neha, how old are you?
- नेहा Nehaमैं पच्चीस साल की हूँ।Main pachis saal ki hoon.I am twenty-five years old.
- अमित Amitअच्छा, मैं भी पच्चीस साल का हूँ।Achha, main bhi pachis saal ka hoon.Oh, I am twenty-five years old too.
- नेहा Nehaयह तो बहुत अच्छी बात है!Yeh toh bahut achhi baat hai!That is great!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries उम्र, क्या, है, CC BY-SA 4.0.
