ich bin zwölf Jahre alt
The English phrase "I am twelve years old" is translated into German as ich bin zwölf Jahre alt.
This phrase is used to communicate that a person is twelve years of age.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase translates literally as "I am twelve years old".
Which one should you use?
In casual conversation, it is common to omit Jahre alt and simply say Ich bin zwölf.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word Jahre used in the phrase is the plural form of Jahr (year).
Did you know?
- While alt means 'old', it is used in German for any age, including babies. A one-year-old is described as ein Jahr alt, which doesn't imply they are elderly.
- When discussing age, Germans use the verb sein ('to be'), just like English speakers. This differs from languages like Spanish or French, where one 'has' a certain number of years.
- The German word alt shares the same ancient roots as the English word 'old', both tracing back to the Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'to grow' or 'to nourish'.
Examples in context
- Glaub mir, ich bin zwölf Jahre alt.Believe me, I am twelve years old.
Example conversation
Julian and Sarah are meeting for the first time at a party.
- JulianHallo Sarah, wie alt bist du?Hello Sarah, how old are you?
- SarahIch bin elf. Und du, Julian?I am eleven. And you, Julian?
- JulianIch bin zwölf Jahre alt.I am twelve years old.
- SarahOh, du bist also älter als ich!Oh, so you are older than I am!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries alt, bin, ich, zwölf, CC BY-SA 4.0.
