你的年龄
nǐ de niánlíng
The English phrase "your age" is translated into Mandarin as 你的年龄 (nǐ de niánlíng).
你的年龄 refers to the number of years a person has lived. In natural conversation, if you want to ask someone "How old are you?", it is more common to use the structure 你 + 多大 + 了？ rather than using the literal phrase for "your age".
What does it mean word for word?
The term 年龄 (niánlíng) is a formal noun meaning "age".
Which one should you use?
While 你的年龄 refers to the concept of age itself, the word 岁 (suì) is a measure word used specifically when stating a numeric age, such as saying someone is ten years old.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
你的年龄 is a literal way to express the concept of "your age". In spoken Mandarin, to ask someone their age informally, people typically say 你多大？ When speaking to an older person, it is more polite to use the respectful form 您多大年纪？ instead of 你多大？
How does it change in a sentence?
When stating your age, the measure word 岁 (suì) must be placed after the number. Additionally, the character 了 (le) can be used to indicate a change in age or the completion of a certain number of years.
How do you pronounce it?
nǐ de niánlíng
Did you know?
- In traditional Chinese culture, people may calculate their age using the 虚岁 (xūsuì) system, where a person is considered one year old at birth and turns a year older on the Lunar New Year.
- The character 岁 (suì) originally referred to a 'year' as a cycle of the seasons and was often associated with the image of a grain ear or a harvest.
- When discussing the age of much older people, it is common to use the phrase 高寿 (gāoshòu) to ask about their 'longevity' instead of just their 'age'.
Examples in context
- 我今年二十五岁了。I am twenty-five years old this year.
- 我已经二十五岁了。I am already twenty-five years old.
- 请问你的年龄是多少？Qǐngwèn nǐ de niánlíng shì duōshǎo?May I ask what your age is?
- 这和你的年龄有关。Zhè hé nǐ de niánlíng yǒuguān.This is related to your age.
Example conversation
At a health clinic, a nurse is asking a patient for information.
- 伟 Wei请填写你的年龄。Qǐng tiánxiě nǐ de niánlíng.Please fill in your age.
- 欣怡 Xinyi好的，我现在写。Hǎo de, wǒ xiànzài xiě.Okay, I will write it now.
- 伟 Wei谢谢，请写清楚。Xièxiè, qǐng xiě qīngchǔ.Thank you, please write clearly.
- 欣怡 Xinyi没问题。Méi wèntí.No problem.
