岁
suì
Year of age
Age in Chinese
Age is a number plus 岁 (suì): 我二十五岁 means "I am twenty-five". The verb 是 is usually left out.
Saying your age
- Two years old is 两岁, not 二岁.
- Before 岁, 一 is read yí: 一岁 (yí suì).
- 年龄 (niánlíng) is the noun "age", used on forms and documents.
Grammar rule: Age with 岁
一岁
yí suì
1 year old
两岁
liǎng suì
2 years old
年龄
niánlíng
Age
年纪
niánjì
Age (of an older person)
我二十五岁。
wǒ èrshíwǔ suì.
I am 25.
Asking someone’s age
How you ask depends on who you ask. 几 expects a small number, so 你几岁？ to an adult sounds like a question for a child.
你几岁？
nǐ jǐ suì?
How old are you? (to a child)
你多大？
nǐ duō dà?
How old are you? (to a peer)
您多大年纪？
nín duō dà niánjì?
How old are you? (to an older person)
More about numbers
Frequently asked questions
How do you say "I am 20" in Chinese?
我二十岁 (wǒ èrshí suì). The verb 是 is usually left out.
How do you ask someone’s age in Chinese?
A peer: 你多大？ (nǐ duō dà?). A child: 你几岁？ (nǐ jǐ suì?). An older person: 您多大年纪？ (nín duō dà niánjì?).
Why is "two years old" 两岁 and not 二岁?
Before measure words two becomes 两, and 岁 behaves like one: 两岁, 两个月, 两本书.
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