몇 살이에요?
myeot sarieyo?
The English phrase "what is your age?" is translated into Korean as 몇 살이에요? (myeot sarieyo?)
This phrase is a direct question used to ask someone how many years old they are. In Korean, the word 나이 refers to age and the suffix -살 is used after a number to indicate age. The word 어떻게 can also be used to mean "how."
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 몇 살이에요? is composed of 몇 (how many), 살 (years of age) and 이에요 (is/are).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
There are different levels of politeness for this question depending on whom you are addressing. 몇 살이에요? is in the polite style, which is suitable for strangers or people slightly older than you. 몇 살이야? is the casual version used with close friends or people younger than you. For an elderly person or someone in a much higher social position, you should use the highly respectful form 연세가 어떻게 되세요?
How do you pronounce it?
myeot sarieyo?
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers should avoid using the casual form 몇 살이야? when speaking to elders or superiors, as it can be perceived as rude.
Did you know?
- Until June 2023, South Korea officially used a unique system where a person was considered one year old at birth and gained a year every New Year's Day.
- In Korea, asking someone's age is often the first step in a conversation rather than an intrusion. It is a vital social tool used to determine the correct level of politeness and honorifics to use for the rest of the interaction.
- When counting age with 살, you must use native Korean numbers like 'hana', 'dul', 'set' rather than the Sino-Korean numbers like 'il', 'i', 'sam' which are used for minutes or dates.
Examples in context
- 안녕! 나이가 어떻게 돼?Hi! What's your age?
- 실례지만, 몇 살이에요?sillyejiman, myeot salieyo?Excuse me, but what is your age?
- 혹시 몇 살이에요?hoksi myeot salieyo?By any chance, what is your age?
Example conversation
Hyunwoo and Subin are getting to know each other at a social gathering.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo수빈 씨, 혹시 몇 살이에요?Subin ssi, hoksi myeot salieyo?Subin, by any chance, what is your age?
- 수빈 Su-bin저는 스물다섯 살이에요.jeoneun seumul-daseot salieyo.I am twenty-five years old.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo아, 그렇군요.a, geureokgunyo.Ah, I see.
- 수빈 Su-bin현우 씨는 몇 살이에요?Hyunwoo ssineun myeot salieyo?And how old are you, Hyunwoo?
