Welcome to your guide on how to ask someone’s age in Russian! Whether you’re traveling to or communicating with Russian speakers, it’s always useful to know this basic question. In this guide, we’ll cover both the formal and informal ways to ask someone’s age, along with some regional variations. So, let’s get started!
Table of Contents
Formal Way: Какой у вас возраст?
The formal way to ask “How old are you?” in Russian is “Какой у вас возраст?” (Kakoy ooh vas vo-zrast). This phrase is usually used when addressing someone in a polite or professional setting. Here’s an example of how to use it:
Вы: Здравствуйте! Какой у вас возраст?
(Hello! How old are you?)
Собеседник: Мне 35 лет.
(I am 35 years old.)
Informal Way: Сколько тебе лет?
If you want to ask someone their age in a casual or informal setting, you can use the phrase “Сколько тебе лет?” (Skol’ko tebe lyet). Here, “тебе” (tebe) is the informal version of “вам” (vam), which means “you.” Let’s see an example:
Ты: Привет! Сколько тебе лет?
(Hi! How old are you?)
Собеседник: Мне 35 лет.
(I am 35 years old.)
Regional Variations
Russian is spoken across a vast territory, and you might come across some regional variations when asking someone’s age. Here are a couple of examples:
Siberian Variation: Сколько вам лет?
In Siberia, some people use the phrase “Сколько вам лет?” (Skol’ko vam lyet) instead of “Какой у вас возраст?” to ask someone’s age politely. Just remember that this variation is not as widely used as the formal and informal ways covered earlier.
Ukrainian Variation: Який у вас вік?
In Ukraine, which shares a linguistic heritage with Russia, people may use the Ukrainian phrase “Який у вас вік?” (Yakyi ooh vahs vik). This phrase has a similar meaning to the Russian “Какой у вас возраст?” and can be used in formal situations. However, it’s important to note that Ukrainian is a separate language, so it might not be commonly understood by all Russian speakers.
Tips and Examples
To ensure smooth communication, consider the following tips and additional examples when asking someone’s age in Russian:
1. Using “лет” (lyet)
Remember to include the word “лет” (lyet) after stating the age. This noun is required and corresponds to “years old” in English. For example:
- Мне 20 лет. (I am 20 years old.)
- Тебе 25 лет. (You are 25 years old.)
2. Word order in questions
In Russian, the word order changes when forming a question. The verb “сколько” (skol’ko) meaning “how much/how many” usually comes at the beginning of the sentence. For example:
- Сколько вам лет? (How old are you?)
- Сколько тебе лет? (How old are you?)
3. Non-specific age
When someone doesn’t want to reveal their exact age, they might respond by saying:
- Мне за 30. (I’m over 30.)
- Мне около 40. (I’m around 40.)
4. Using “год” (got) for singular age
If someone is providing their age as one year, “год” (god) should be used instead of “лет.” For example:
- Мне год. (I am one year old.)
- Тебе год. (You are one year old.)
5. Responding to the question
If someone asks you how old you are, you can respond by directly stating your age. For example:
- Мне 25 лет. (I am 25 years old.)
- Мне 40 лет. (I am 40 years old.)
That wraps up our guide on asking someone’s age in Russian. Remember to adapt your question based on the situation and your relationship with the person you are speaking to. Practice these phrases, and you’ll be sure to impress Russian speakers with your language skills. Good luck!
