What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 年 (toshi) meaning 'year' or 'age', and 取る (toru) meaning 'to take'. Literally, it translates to 'to take years'.
Which one should you use?
While 年を取る is the standard neutral expression, the phrase 年を重ねる is a more elegant, literary or formal way to express the process of aging or gaining experience, literally meaning 'to accumulate years'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For formal situations, you can use the polite inquiry おいくつですか? to ask someone's age and respond with 私は＿＿＿歳です 」。 If you are in an informal setting, you can respond to an age inquiry by saying ＿＿＿歳だよ 」。
How does it change in a sentence?
To express that someone has aged or grew old, you can use the past tense form 年を取った by changing the verb to the -ta form. To express a conjecture or probability that someone will age, you can add the auxiliary verb だろう to the phrase, resulting in 年を取るだろう.
How do you pronounce it?
toshi o toru
Did you know?
- In Japan, it is common to avoid asking someone's age directly. Instead of おいくつですか, people may use indirect phrasing or wait for the other person to volunteer the information to avoid being rude.
- Japanese has a specific term, 若作り (wakazukuri), for the act of trying to look much younger than one's actual 年. It is often used with a nuance that is slightly critical or jokingly mocking.
- When using the more elegant phrase 年を重ねる (toshi o kasaneru), you are using a verb that literally means 'to layer' or 'to stack'. It evokes the image of building up layers of experience or time, much like stacking stones or clothing.
Examples in context
- 15才15 years old
- 彼は年を取るのが早いです。kare wa toshi o toru no ga hayai desu.He is aging rapidly.
- 年を取るのが怖いです。toshi o toru no ga kowai desu.I am afraid of growing older.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 年を取る, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
