What does it mean word for word?
제 is the humble or polite way to say "my", and 나이 means "age".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
제 나이는 is the polite way to introduce your age, which is suitable when speaking to elders or strangers. For casual situations with friends or people younger than you, the informal version 내 나이는 is used.
How does it change in a sentence?
When stating your age, you can use different counters. In formal contexts, you can say [age]살입니다. or [age]세입니다. (using the counter 세). In informal contexts, you can say [age]살이야. or [age]세야. (using the counter 세). You can also use the phrase 나이가 [age]야. to mean "My age is [age]."
How do you pronounce it?
je nai-neun
What mistakes should you avoid?
When asking someone else their age, do not use the word 나이. It is more natural to use the honorific term 연세 when asking an elder how old they are.
Did you know?
- In Korea, you may find yourself needing to recount your age based on the lunar calendar or the year you were born, rather than just the birthdays you have celebrated. This is because the traditional 'Korean age' system counts a person as one year old at birth and adds a year every New Year's Day.
- In Korea, determining a person's age is often the first priority when making a new friend, as it dictates the specific level of politeness and grammatical endings used in every sentence.
- Depending on the counter used for age, you must switch between two entirely different number systems: native Korean numbers for 살 and Sino-Korean numbers for 세.
Examples in context
- 제 나이는 스무 살이에요.My age is twenty.
- 스무 살입니다.I am twenty years old.
Example conversation
Minjun and Subin are introducing themselves at a meeting.
- 민준 Min-jun안녕하세요, 민준입니다. 수빈 씨는 몇 살이에요?An-nyeong-ha-se-yo, Min-jun-im-ni-da. Su-bin ssi-neun myeot sal-i-e-yo?Hello, I'm Minjun. How old are you, Subin?
- 수빈 Su-bin제 나이는 스물두 살이에요. 민준 씨는요?Je na-i-neun seu-mul-du sal-i-e-yo. Min-jun ssi-neun-yo?My age is twenty-two. How about you, Minjun?
- 민준 Min-jun저는 스물다섯 살입니다.Jeo-neun seu-mul-da-seot sal-im-ni-da.I am twenty-five years old.
- 수빈 Su-bin아, 그렇군요. 반가워요!A, geu-reot-gun-yo. Ban-ga-wo-yo!Oh, I see. Nice to meet you!
