あなたの年齢
anata no nenrei
The English phrase "your age" is translated into Japanese as あなたの年齢 (anata no nenrei).
あなたの年齢 is used to refer to the number of years a person has lived. Note that while this phrase refers to the concept of one's age, it is more natural in Japanese to ask how old someone is using the question 何歳 (how many years old) rather than asking directly for the noun "your age".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of anata (you), the possessive particle no (of) and nenrei (age/years of age).
Which one should you use?
年齢 (nenrei) is a formal, clinical or administrative term for age, whereas the more common word used in daily conversation is toshi.
How does it change in a sentence?
The particle の is required to link the pronoun anata (you) to the noun nenrei (age) to show possession.
How do you pronounce it?
anata no nenrei
Did you know?
- Historically, the Japanese used the traditional 'kazoedoshi' system, where a person was considered one year old at birth and aged on New Year's Day regardless of their birth date.
- In Japan, it is common to avoid using あなた ('you') entirely when asking someone's age, instead omitting the subject or using the person's name and title.
- Japanese culture places high importance on seniority, so knowing someone's 'age' is often a prerequisite for choosing the correct level of polite speech to use with them.
Examples in context
- これは私があなたの年齢の時に使っていたサングラスだ。These are the sunglasses I used when I was your age.This sentence shows how to use あなたの年齢 when comparing one's past self to someone else's current age.Tatoeba #10905979 by SomeHungryBois, translation #8303911 by Amastan
- あなたの年齢は何歳ですか。What is your age?This sentence demonstrates a way to ask for someone's age using あなたの年齢.Tatoeba #233058 by mookeee, translation #389935 by blay_paul
- あなたの年齢を教えていただけますか。Anata no nenrei o oshiete itadakemasu ka.Could you please tell me your age?
Example conversation
Ren and Misaki are filling out a registration form together.
- 蓮 Renここにあなたの年齢を書いてください。Koko ni anata no nenrei o kaite kudasai.Please write your age here.
- 美咲 Misakiはい、わかりました。Hai, wakarimashita.Yes, I understand.
- 蓮 Renありがとうございます。Arigatou gozaimasu.Thank you.
- 美咲 Misakiどういたしまして。Dou itashimashite.You're welcome.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
