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Telling Age in Mandarin Chinese 年龄 (Niánlíng)

Telling Age in Mandarin Chinese
(年龄/Niánlíng)

1. Useful Vocabulary

No Vocabulary Meaning
Character  Pinyin
1 年龄 niánlíng age (formal)
2 几岁 jǐ suì how old (for children or close people)
3 多大 duō dà how old (general, polite)
4 岁 suì years old

 

2. How to Ask Someone’s Age

✅ For Children or Close People (informal):
a. 你几岁？
Nǐ jǐ suì?
How old are you?

b. 他几岁？
Tā jǐ suì?
How old is he?

c. 你妹妹几岁？
Nǐ mèimei jǐ suì?
How old is your little sister?

Use “几岁” for children or when talking casually with friends.

✅ For Adults or Politely (neutral/formal):
你多大了？ (nǐ duō dà le?) To friends, peers
您多大了？ (nín duō dà le?) To adults, teachers, elders, strangers

你的老师多大了？
Nǐ de lǎoshī duō dà le?
How old is your teacher?

Use “多大了” when asking adults or speaking politely. Use “您” to show respect.

✅ Very Formal (e.g., in documents or business)

您的年龄是多少？
Nín de niánlíng shì duōshǎo?
What is your age, sir/ma’am?

Use this when speaking very politely or formally.

3. How to Answer: Saying Your Age

✅ Structure:
Subject + Number + 岁 (suì)
It means: I am X years old.

Examples:

a. 我十岁。
Wǒ shí suì.
I’m ten years old.

b. 她二十岁。
Tā èrshí suì.
She’s twenty years old.

c. 我们十七岁。
Wǒmen shíqī suì.
We are seventeen.

d. 他们二十一岁。
Tāmen èrshíyī suì.
They are 21 years old.

4. Dialogue

Practice the following dialogue between 小明 (Xiǎo Míng) and 小红 (Xiǎo Hóng) with your partner.

🧒 小明:
你几岁？
Nǐ jǐ suì?
How old are you?

👧 小红:
我十二岁。你呢？
Wǒ shí’èr suì. Nǐ ne?
I’m 12 years old. And you?

🧒 小明:
我也是十二岁。
Wǒ yě shì shí’èr suì.
I’m also 12 years old.

👧 小红:
我们同岁！
Wǒmen tóngsuì!
We are the same age!

🧒 小明:
对，我们是同班同学。
Duì, wǒmen shì tóngbān tóngxué.
Yes, we are classmates in the same class.

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