내 나이
nae nai
The English phrase "how old I am" translates to Korean as 내 나이 (nae nai).
This phrase is used to refer to one's own age.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Use 제 나이 when speaking to someone older or in a formal setting to be more polite.
How does it change in a sentence?
If you add the subject marker 가 to the phrase, it becomes 내 나이가, which is used when the age itself serves as the subject of the sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
nae nai
When do people say it?
When asking someone else's age politely, you can use 연세가 어떻게 되세요? To state your own age politely, you can say 제 나이는 [X] 살입니다, or use the casual version 나는 [X] 살이야.
Did you know?
- While 내 나이 refers to your current age, Koreans traditionally used a system where you are one year old the moment you are born. This is known as 'Korean age' and differs from the international standard.
- In Korea, age is not just a number but a social rank. Knowing 내 나이 relative to others is essential because it determines which level of politeness and which specific verb endings you must use when speaking.
- The syllable 내 was once the general word for 'smoke'. It was eventually replaced by the Sino-Korean word 연기 because 내 developed too many different meanings and homophones.
Examples in context
- 내 나이가 중요해?nae naiga jungyo-hae?Is my age important?
Example conversation
Subin and Jihun are discussing their age differences.
- 수빈 Su-bin내 나이 알아요?nae nai arayo?Do you know my age?
- 지훈 Ji-hun아니요, 몇 살이에요?aniyo, myeot sarieyo?No, how old are you?
- 수빈 Su-bin내 나이는 비밀이에요.nae nai-neun bimirieyo.My age is a secret.
- 지훈 Ji-hun정말 궁금해요.jeongmal gunggeumhaeyo.I'm really curious.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 내, CC BY-SA 4.0.
