你多大了？
nǐ duō dà le?
The Chinese phrase for "what is your age?" is 你多大了？ (nǐ duō dà le?)
你多大了？ is the most common way to ask someone's age in a casual or neutral social setting. You can also add 请问 to the beginning of a sentence, which is equivalent to saying "May I ask."
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 你多大了？ literally translates to "You how big (already)?", where dà (big) is used to refer to age. The component 多大 functions as the interrogative part of the sentence to ask about age.
Which one should you use?
While 你多大了？ is used for peers or adults, 你几岁？ is the standard way to ask a child their age. For a more formal inquiry, you can use 你的年龄是多少？
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
你多大了？ is an informal way to ask how old someone is. For formal situations, you can use 你的年龄是多少？ or the more respectful way 请问您多大了？ To show respect to an elderly person, use 您多大年纪了？ The phrase 敢问阁下高龄几何？ is a formal, poetic and traditional way to inquire about age.
How does it change in a sentence?
The particle 了 at the end of 你多大了？ implies the person has reached a certain age or has grown.
How do you pronounce it?
nǐ duō dà le?
Did you know?
- In China, it is common for adults to ask each other's age early in a relationship to determine the correct honorifics to use. This allows the speaker to decide if they should address the other person as an 'older sibling' or 'younger sibling'.
- In many Chinese-speaking cultures, asking for someone's age is not seen as a breach of privacy like it often is in English, particularly when speaking to people slightly older than you.
- The traditional, poetic way to ask someone's age, 敢问阁下高龄几何？, sounds like something from a period drama or a martial arts novel rather than a modern conversation.
Examples in context
- 你多大了？nǐ duō dà le?How old are you?
- 请问，你多大了？qǐng wèn, nǐ duō dà le?Excuse me, how old are you?
- 我可以问一下，你多大了？wǒ kě yǐ wèn yí xià, nǐ duō dà le?Can I ask how old you are?
Example conversation
Two new students are meeting for the first time.
- 俊杰 Junjie你好，我是俊杰。Nǐ hǎo, wǒ shì Jùnjié.Hello, I am Junjie.
- 雨婷 Yuting你好，俊杰。你多大了？Nǐ hǎo, Jùnjié. Nǐ duō dà le?Hello, Junjie. How old are you?
- 俊杰 Junjie我今年十八岁。Wǒ jīnnián shí bā suì.I am eighteen years old this year.
- 雨婷 Yuting我也是十八岁！Wǒ yě shì shí bā suì!I am eighteen too!
