сколько тебе лет?
skol'ko tebe let?
In Russian, the phrase for 'how old are you?' is сколько тебе лет? (skol'ko tebe let?)
This phrase is used to ask about someone's age. When providing an age, if you are talking about a single year of age, the word год should be used instead of лет. For example, you can say Мне около 40. to mean 'I'm around 40' or Мне за 30. to mean 'I'm over 30'.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase сколько тебе лет? literally translates to 'how many years [are] to you?'
Which one should you use?
Unlike English, which uses the verb 'to be' (are), Russian uses the word сколько (how many) followed by the noun 'years'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form сколько тебе лет? uses the informal pronoun тебе and is used with children, peers or close friends. To be polite or formal when speaking to an elder, a stranger or a group of people, use сколько вам лет? The word лет is the specific form of 'year' used when the number ends in 5 through 9, or 0 or when expressing age in Russian.
How do you pronounce it?
skol'ko tebe let?
Did you know?
- In Russian culture, asking someone's age directly with сколько вам лет? can sometimes be seen as more intrusive than it is in English, especially towards older women.
- The word сколько is a cognate of the Serbian and Croatian koliko, reflecting their shared Proto-Slavic roots.
- While English speakers use 'years old', a Russian speaker might omit the word for 'years' entirely in casual conversation, simply saying Сколько тебе? if the context of age is clear.
Examples in context
- Ты: Привет! Сколько тебе лет? Собеседник: Мне 35 лет.Hi! How old are you? I am 35 years old.
- Сколько вам лет?How old are you?
- Мне год.I am one year old.
- Мне 25 лет.I am 25 years old.
- Мне 40 лет.I am 40 years old.
Example conversation
Two young friends are chatting at a cafe.
- Анастасия AnastasiaСлушай, а сколько тебе лет?Slushay, a skol'ko tebe let?Listen, how old are you?
- Сергей SergeyМне двадцать пять.Mne dvadtsat' pyat'.I am twenty-five.
- Анастасия AnastasiaО, ты выглядишь старше!O, ty vyglyadish' starshe!Oh, you look older!
- Сергей SergeyЭто просто комплимент?Eto prosto kompliment?Is that just a compliment?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries лет, сколько, тебе, CC BY-SA 4.0.
