What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 몇 살이에요 is composed of 몇 (how many), 살 (years of age) and 이에요 (am/is/are).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form 몇 살이에요 is the standard polite way to ask someone's age and is suitable for most social situations with people you do not know well. For close friends or people younger than you, you can use the informal version 몇 살이야? If you are speaking to an elderly person or someone of much higher social status, use the highly formal and respectful honorific version 연세가 어떻게 되세요?
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase 몇 살이에요 is the standard polite way to ask someone's age.
How do you pronounce it?
myeot sarieyo
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers should avoid using the word 'age' (나이) directly in this specific phrase structure, as 몇 살이에요 is the most natural way to ask.
When do people say it?
In Korea, asking someone's age is a common way to determine their social seniority and decide which level of politeness to use in conversation.
Did you know?
- Historically, Koreans used a system called 'Korean age' where a person is one year old at birth and gains a year every New Year's Day, regardless of their actual birth date.
- The word 살 used in 몇 살이에요 is a native Korean counter, which means the number preceding it must be spoken in native Korean rather than Sino-Korean numerals.
- In social settings, if two people are the same age, they may move from the polite 몇 살이에요 to a very casual style of speaking called 'banmal' almost instantly.
Examples in context
- 안녕하세요. 제 나이는 25살입니다.Hello. My age is 25.
- 실례지만, 몇 살이에요?sillyejiman, myeot sarieyo?Excuse me, how old are you?
- 그 아이는 몇 살이에요?geu aineun myeot sarieyo?How old is that child?
Example conversation
Two acquaintances meet at a social gathering and start a polite conversation.
- 지은 Ji-eun지훈 씨, 혹시 몇 살이에요?Jihun ssi, hoksi myeot sarieyo?Jihun, by any chance, how old are you?
- 지훈 Ji-hun저는 스물다섯 살이에요.jeoneun seumul-daseot sarieyo.I am twenty-five years old.
- 지은 Ji-eun아, 정말 젊으시네요!a, jeongmal jeolmeusineyo!Oh, you are really young!
- 지훈 Ji-hun감사합니다, 지은 씨.gamsahamnida, Jieun ssi.Thank you, Jieun.
