tu edad
/tu edad/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "you age" is translated as tu edad.
The phrase refers to the number of years a person has lived. When stating how old someone is, you use the verb tener (to have) followed by the number of years. For example, you say Tengo X años to mean "I am X years old." To be more explicit or to emphasize a person's age, you can follow a number with the phrase años de edad.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, the question ¿Cuántos años cumples? is used to ask how old someone will turn on their upcoming birthday. In Argentina, the informal way to ask someone's age is ¿Cuántos años tenés?
How does it change in a sentence?
When asking someone their age, it is common to omit the word años and simply ask ¿Cuántos tienes?
How do you pronounce it?
/tu edad/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the verb ser (to be) to state age. However, in Spanish, you use the verb tener (to have) with the number of years.
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, asking a woman's edad is considered a significant social faux pas and is viewed as intrusive or impolite.
- The Spanish word edad is a distant relative of the English words 'eternity' and 'eon'. All three share a common root from the Proto-Indo-European word for a long period of time.
- Because Spanish uses the verb tener (to have) for age, the phrase Tengo hambre (I have hunger) follows the same logical pattern of 'possessing' a state rather than 'being' it.
Examples in context
- Tengo 30 años.I am 30 years old.
- Tengo 27 años de edad.I am 27 years old.
- ¿Me dices tu edad?Will you tell me your age?
- Tu edad no es un problema para este trabajo.Your age is not a problem for this job.
Example conversation
Mateo and Elena are filling out a form at a registration desk.
- Mateo¿Cuál es tu edad, Elena?What is your age, Elena?
- ElenaTengo veinticinco años.I am twenty-five years old.
- MateoEstá bien, anotaré tu edad aquí.Okay, I will write down your age here.
- ElenaGracias, Mateo.Thank you, Mateo.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries edad, tu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
