quantos anos você tem?
quantos anos você tem? is the Portuguese phrase for "how old are you?"
This phrase is used to ask someone about their age.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase quantos anos você tem? literally translates to "how many years do you have?"
Which one should you use?
To ask the same question to a group of people, change 'você tem' to quantos anos vocês têm?
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Brazil, you may encounter the slang variation Quantos anos cê tem?
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase quantos anos você tem? uses the singular você (you) and the singular verb tem (have).
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying quantos anos você é? which would mean "how many years are you?"
Did you know?
- The word você evolved from the phrase vossa mercee, which means 'your mercy'.
- In many Portuguese speaking cultures, asking quantos anos você tem? can be considered impolite when addressing women of a certain age.
- The Portuguese verb tem is a cognate of the English word 'tenure', as both derive from the Latin root for holding or possessing.
Examples in context
- Quantos anos a senhora tem?How old are you, madam?
- Quantos anos você tem?How old are you?
Example conversation
Gabriel and Juliana are meeting for the first time at a party.
- GabrielPrazer em conhecer você, Juliana. Quantos anos você tem?Nice to meet you, Juliana. How old are you?
- JulianaPrazer, Gabriel! Eu tenho vinte e dois anos.Nice to meet you, Gabriel! I am twenty-two years old.
- GabrielSério? Nós temos a mesma idade!Really? We are the same age!
- JulianaQue coincidência legal!What a cool coincidence!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tem, você, CC BY-SA 4.0.
