What does it mean word for word?
The word 身長 (shinchō) literally means "body length" and is the standard term for height. The phrase 何センチ (nan-senchi) means "how many centimeters."
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
There are several ways to ask this depending on the level of politeness. For a formal approach, you can use 身長はいくつですか？ If you are in an informal situation, you can say 身長は何センチ？
How does it change in a sentence?
To make your inquiry more polite, you can add introductory phrases. You can use すみませんが、 to mean "May I ask, how tall are you?" or you can use ちょっと聞いてもいいですか？ to mean "May I ask?" before the question.
How do you pronounce it?
shinchō wa nan-senchi desu ka?
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using 身長はいくらですか？ While いくら means "how much," it is used for prices or weights and sounds unnatural when used to ask about height.
When do people say it?
Asking someone's height directly can be considered personal or intrusive in Japanese culture unless there is a specific context, such as medical or athletic settings.
Did you know?
- While the phrase 身長 refers to human height, the word for the height of a building or a mountain is 高さ. Using 身長 for a mountain would be like calling a mountain a 'person'.
- Historically, Japan used the shaku system for height, where one shaku was roughly 30.3 centimeters. This system was officially replaced by the metric system after World War II.
- If you are asking a child about their height, you might use the word 背 (se) instead of the more formal 身長 (shinchō). 背 is a simpler term that refers to one's stature or back.
Examples in context
- ちょっと聞いてもいいですか？身長は何センチ？May I ask? How many centimeters tall are you?
- 身長は何センチですか？Shinchou wa nan senchi desu ka?How tall are you in centimeters?
- すみません、身長は何センチですか？Sumimasen, shinchou wa nan senchi desu ka?Excuse me, how tall are you?
- 陽葵さんの身長は何センチですか？Himari-san no shinchou wa nan senchi desu ka?How tall are you, Himari?
Example conversation
Two students are talking about their growth spurts.
- 陽葵 Himari大翔さん、身長は何センチですか？Daito-san, shinchou wa nan senchi desu ka?Daito, how tall are you?
- 大翔 Hiroto180センチです。陽葵さんは？Hyakuhachijuu senchi desu. Himari-san wa?I'm 180 centimeters. How about you, Himari?
- 陽葵 Himari私は160センチです。Watashi wa hyakurokuju senchi desu.I am 160 centimeters.
- 大翔 Hirotoそうなんですね。Sou nan desu ne.I see.
