hur gammal är du?
The English phrase "how old are you?" is translated into Swedish as hur gammal är du?
hur gammal är du? is used to ask someone about their age. In more formal settings, you might instead use the phrase Vad är din ålder? (What is your age?) or use the more polite inquiry Kan jag fråga om din ålder? (May I ask your age?).
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase translates literally as 'how old are you?': hur means 'how', gammal means 'old', är means 'are' and du means 'you'.
How does it change in a sentence?
To address more than one person, or to use a formal version of 'you', replace du with ni to form hur gammal är ni?
Did you know?
- In Swedish, the word gammal is used to describe a 'long-time' friend, regardless of whether the friend is actually old in years.
- The word du is a direct cognate of the archaic English word 'thou', appearing in the same grammatical position in many ancient Germanic languages.
- While hur gammal är du? is the standard way to ask age, Swedish people often avoid this direct question when meeting adults for the first time to avoid being impolite.
Examples in context
- Hur gammal är du?How old are you?
Example conversation
Maja and Karl are meeting for the first time at a party.
- MajaHej Karl! Hur gammal är du?Hi Karl! How old are you?
- KarlJag är tjugofem år.I am twenty-five years old.
- MajaJag är tjugotre år.I am twenty-three years old.
- KarlVad kul!How fun!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries du, gammal, hur, är, CC BY-SA 4.0.
