sua idade
/ˈsu.ɐ iˈda.d͡ʒi/word by word
The English phrase "your age" is translated into Portuguese as sua idade.
For more informal or colloquial expressions regarding age, you might encounter Já tenho X dias de vida. to highlight how long someone has lived, or Tô chegando nos X. when someone is approaching a specific age.
Which one should you use?
While sua idade is the standard way to say "your age" when using the pronoun você, you may encounter tua idade when addressing someone with the informal tu pronoun. This latter form is common in certain regions of Brazil and in Portugal.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form sua idade uses the possessive adjective corresponding to the third-person singular (você), which serves as the standard for "your age" in formal or polite contexts.
What mistakes should you avoid?
When expressing age, do not use the verbs ser or estar (to be) as you would in English. Instead, you must use the verb ter (to have), such as in the phrase Tenho a sua idade.
Did you know?
- The word idade is a distant relative of the English word 'eternity'. Both share an ancient root meaning 'vital energy' or 'a long period of time'.
- In Brazil, asking Qual a sua idade? can sometimes feel overly clinical or formal. People often prefer to ask Quantos anos você tem?, which literally means 'How many years do you have?'
- In very formal Portuguese documents, you may see the word idade replaced by faixa etária, which translates to 'age group' or 'age bracket'.
Examples in context
- Tenho a sua idade.I'm your age.Tatoeba #5830928 by bill, translation #5829209 by CK
- Qual é a sua idade?What is your age?Tatoeba #1146672 by tulio, translation #389935 by blay_paul
- Eu tinha a sua idade.I was your age.Tatoeba #1410128 by alexmarcelo, translation #1410127 by al_ex_an_der
- Eu tenho 28 anosI am 28 years old.
- Estou na casa dos 30I am in my thirties.
- Já tenho 10.000 dias de vidaI've already lived for 10,000 days!
- Faço 30 anos amanhãI turn 30 years old tomorrow.
- Tô chegando nos 40I am getting close to 40.
- Eu tenho 25 anos.I am 25 years old.
- Eu já fiz 25 anos.I already turned 25.
- Eu vou fazer 25 anos.I will turn 25.
- 33 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Mariana are chatting about their families.
- GabrielMinha irmã tem a sua idade.My sister is your age.
- MarianaSério? Ela também tem vinte anos?Really? Is she also twenty years old?
- GabrielSim, ela acabou de fazer aniversário.Yes, she just had a birthday.
- MarianaQue coincidência legal, Gabriel!What a cool coincidence, Gabriel!
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (sua, idade) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries idade, sua, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
