cuántos años tienes
/kwantos aɲos tjenes/from spelling rules
The English phrase "how old you are" is translated into Spanish as cuántos años tienes.
In Spanish, you express age using the verb tener (to have) rather than the verb for "to be". To respond to a question about your age, you use the form tengo, which means "I have". For example, saying Tengo 20 is a sufficient way to express that you are 20 years old.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase cuántos años tienes literally translates to "how many years you have".
How does it change in a sentence?
When speaking to a single person informally, the conjugation used is tienes, while the formal conjugation for "you" is tiene.
How do you pronounce it?
/kwantos aɲos tjenes/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying cuántos años eres. English speakers often mistakenly use the verb ser (to be) instead of tener (to have) when asking age, but in Spanish, you "have" years.
Did you know?
- The word años is a homonym for a common vulgar slang term for 'anus' in many dialects, making the correct pronunciation of the ñ critical to avoid awkward misunderstandings.
- The word años shares a root with the Latin word for 'ring', because the ancient Romans viewed a year as a full circle or 'annulus' returning to the start.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, it is considered polite to ask cuántos años tienes to a child or much younger person, but asking an adult can be seen as an intrusive or even rude interrogation.
Examples in context
- Dime cuántos años tienes.Tell me how old you are.This sentence is useful for telling someone to state their age.Tatoeba #11708240 by Seael, translation #6403827 by CK
- ¿Puedo preguntarte cuántos años tienes?May I ask how old you are?This sentence is useful for asking permission to ask someone's age.Tatoeba #984967 by Shishir, translation #984512 by LittleBoy
- Disculpe, ¿cuántos años tiene usted?Excuse me, how old are you?
- Perdone, ¿puede decirme su edad?Excuse me, can you tell me your age?
- Oye Pedro, ¿cuántos años tienes?Hey Pedro, how old are you?
- María, ¿qué edad tienes?Maria, how old are you?
- No sé cuántos años tienes.I don't know how old you are.
Example conversation
Sofía and Alejandro are chatting at a cafe.
- SofíaNo recuerdo cuántos años tienes.I don't remember how old you are.
- AlejandroTengo veinticinco años.I am twenty-five years old.
- Sofía¡Eres muy joven, Alejandro!You are very young, Alejandro!
- AlejandroGracias, Sofía.Thanks, Sofía.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
