歳
[sa̠i]
The English phrase "years old" is translated into Japanese using 歳.
The word 歳 is used as a counter to state the specific age of a person or an animal. If you want to provide a general idea of age without stating an exact number, you might use the term wakai (young) instead.
How does it change in a sentence?
To state an age, you place the number directly before 歳.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly try to use the word toshi to state a specific age. Instead, you should use the counter 歳.
Did you know?
- Historically, people in Japan used the term kazoedoshi to count age. This system counts the baby as one year old at birth and adds a year every New Year's Day, regardless of the actual birth date.
- The kanji for 歳 contains the radical for 'grain' or 'harvest', reflecting its ancient connection to the cycles of the seasons and the annual agricultural yield.
- If you want to refer to a person's age in a very respectful way, such as when speaking about an elderly person, you use the term 御年 (on-toshi) instead of the standard counter.
Examples in context
- 彼は８歳だ。He's eight years old.This sentence is useful for seeing how to say someone is eight years old using 歳.Tatoeba #115017 by bunbuku, translation #2762773 by CK
- 12歳です。I'm twelve years old.This sentence is useful for stating that you are twelve years old using 歳.Tatoeba #3488407 by arnab, translation #2069119 by Eldad
- １３歳です。I'm thirteen years old.This sentence is useful for stating that you are thirteen years old using 歳.Tatoeba #8887630 by bunbuku, translation #7521808 by CK
- 私は２０歳です。I am 20 years old.
- おいくつですか？How old are you?
- 俺は１８歳だ。I am 18 years old.
- 彼は３０歳だよ。He is 30 years old.
- 彼女は１６歳です。She is 16 years old.
- 206 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yota and Misaki are talking about their pet dogs.
- 陽太 Yota美咲さんの犬は何歳ですか？Misaki-san no inu wa nan-sai desu ka?How old is your dog, Misaki?
- 美咲 Misakiうちの犬は５歳です。Uchi no inu wa go-sai desu.My dog is five years old.
- 陽太 Yotaまだ若いですね。Mada wakai desu ne.It's still young, isn't it?
- 美咲 Misakiはい、とても元気です。Hai, totemo genki desu.Yes, it is very energetic.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 歳, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 歳, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
