Ich bin … Jahre alt
The English phrase "I am years old" is expressed in German as Ich bin … Jahre alt.
The phrase Ich bin X Jahre alt. is the standard way to say 'I am X years old' in German. You can also use Ich bin bereits X Jahre alt. to emphasize one's age.
Which one should you use?
The phrase Mein Alter beträgt X Jahre. is a more formal way to say 'My age amounts to X years.'
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase Ich bin … Jahre alt, the ellipsis represents the number of years, which is placed directly after the verb bin. The word Jahre is the plural form of Jahr (year) and is used when stating an age greater than one.
Did you know?
- The German word alt is a cognate of the English word 'old', and both evolved from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'to grow' or 'to nourish'.
- In German, you can omit Jahre alt entirely and simply say Ich bin X to state your age in casual conversation.
- While English uses the verb 'to be' for age, some other Germanic languages like Danish use a construction similar to 'to have' for certain age-related expressions.
Examples in context
- Ich bin zwanzig Jahre alt.I am 20 years old.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Ich, alt, bin, ich, CC BY-SA 4.0.
