몇 살이에요?
The English phrase "how old are you?" in Korean is 몇 살이에요?
To ask "how many" or "how much" in other contexts, you would use 얼마나. The specific phrase for "how old" is 몇 살.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 몇 살이에요? is composed of 몇 (how many), 살 (years old/age) and 이에요? (is/are?).
How does it change in a sentence?
The form 몇 살이에요? uses the polite ending -이에요, making it a polite/standard way to ask the question. The form 몇 살이야? is the casual/informal version.
What mistakes should you avoid?
When asking about age, avoid using the counter for objects 개 instead of the correct counter for age, which is 살.
When do people say it?
In Korean culture, asking 몇 살이에요? directly can sometimes feel blunt or impolite to older people, so a more indirect form like 나이가 어떻게 되세요? is often used to show respect.
Did you know?
- Until June 2023, most Koreans used a unique 'Korean age' system where a baby was one year old at birth and everyone aged a year on New Year's Day regardless of their birthday.
- In very formal settings, you would never use 몇 살 to ask an elder's age. Instead, you use the word 연세, which is a specialized honorific term reserved only for the age of seniors.
- When answering 몇 살이에요?, Koreans often group people of the same birth year as 'friends' 친구, even if they have never met, because they are the same age.
Examples in context
- 실례지만, 몇 살이에요?sillyejiman, myeot sarieyo?Excuse me, how old are you?
- 그 아이는 몇 살이에요?geu aineun myeot sarieyo?How old is that child?
- 동생은 몇 살이에요?dongsaengeun myeot sarieyo?How old is your younger sibling?
Example conversation
Two acquaintances meet at a social gathering.
- 서연 Seo-yeon지훈 씨, 혹시 몇 살이에요?Jihoon ssi, hoksi myeot sarieyo?Jihoon, by any chance, how old are you?
- 지훈 Ji-hun저는 스물다섯 살이에요.Jeoneun seumul-daseot sarieyo.I am twenty-five years old.
- 서연 Seo-yeon아, 저랑 나이가 비슷하네요!A, jeorang naiga biseut-haneyo!Oh, we are close in age!
- 지훈 Ji-hun정말요? 서연 씨는요?Jeongmallyo? Seoyeon ssineunyo?Really? How about you, Seoyeon?
