câți ani ai?
In Romanian, "how old are you?" is expressed as câți ani ai?
This phrase is used to ask someone about their age.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase câți ani ai? literally translates to "how many years have you?"
How does it change in a sentence?
To ask how old a third person (he/she) is, change the verb to câți ani are? When answering the question, use the structure Am [number] ani (I have [number] years).
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the verb "to be" (sunt) to state their age. In Romanian, you must use the verb "to have" (am) instead of saying Sunt … ani.
When do people say it?
When answering, people typically respond with the structure Am … ani (I have … years).
Did you know?
- In Romania, it is generally considered impolite to ask a woman câți ani ai? unless you know her well.
- Asking câți ani ai? can sometimes be used rhetorically toward an adult who is acting childishly to mock their maturity.
- Because the phrase uses the verb ai (you have), the subject pronoun tu (you) is almost always omitted in natural conversation. Adding it can make the question sound unnecessarily pointed or aggressive.
Examples in context
- Ana, câți ani ai?Ana, how old are you?
- Domnule Popescu, câți ani aveți?Mr. Popescu, how old are you?
- Câți ani ai?How old are you?
- Îmi poți spune câți ani ai?Can you tell me how old you are?
Example conversation
Maria and Alexandru meet for the first time at a party.
- MariaBună, sunt Maria. Câți ani ai?Hi, I am Maria. How old are you?
- AlexandruBună, Maria! Am douăzeci de ani.Hi, Maria! I am twenty years old.
- MariaNeapărat trebuie să ne distracte azi!We definitely have to have fun today!
- AlexandruSunt de acord cu tine.I agree with you.
