cuántos años
/kwantos aɲos/from spelling rules
The English phrase "how old" is translated into Spanish as cuántos años.
More formal or polite ways to inquire about age include asking ¿Cuál es su edad? (What is your age?) or ¿Podría decirme cuántos años tiene? (Could you tell me how many years you have?). In informal settings, you can also use ¿Cuántos años tienes? (How many years do you have?) or ¿Qué edad tienes? (What age do you have?).
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "how many years" because Spanish uses the verb "to have" rather than "to be" to express age.
How does it change in a sentence?
When asking how old someone is, you must use a form of the verb tener (to have) instead of ser or estar (to be). Additionally, the word cuántos must be masculine to agree with the masculine noun años.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the verb ser (to be) to ask age, such as saying cuántos años es. Instead, you must use tener (to have).
Did you know?
- While años means 'years', the word is a homophone for a vulgar slang term for 'anus' in many dialects if the ñ is mispronounced as an n.
- The diminutive form añitos can be used when talking to children or about pets to make the concept of 'years' sound more affectionate or small.
- When celebrating a birthday, Spanish speakers say cumplir años, which literally means 'to fulfill years'.
Examples in context
- ¿Cuántos años me das?How old do you think I am?This sentence is useful for asking someone to guess your age using cuántos años.Tatoeba #2947395 by hayastan, translation #256425 by CK
- ¿Cuántos años tiene Tom?How old is Tom?This sentence is useful for asking how old Tom is using cuántos años.Tatoeba #2629619 by Shishir, translation #2261908 by CK
- ¿Cuántos años tiene Tony?How old is Tony?This sentence is useful for asking how old Tony is using cuántos años.Tatoeba #451626 by Shishir, translation #37696 by CN
- Oye, ¿cuántos años tienes?Hey, how old are you?
- 80 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a new coworker at the office.
- Lucía¿Sabes cuántos años tiene el nuevo?Do you know how old the new guy is?
- AlejandroNo, no sé su edad.No, I don't know his age.
- LucíaParece que tiene unos treinta años.It looks like he is about thirty years old.
- AlejandroEs un hombre muy joven.He is a very young man.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
