你几岁？

Learning Chinese: How to Ask "How Old Are You?" in Chinese

Chinese Characters: 你几岁？
Pinyin: Nǐ jǐ suì？
Pronunciation: ni3 ji3 sui4
English Translation: How old are you?

Usage:

"你几岁？(Nǐ jǐ suì？)" is the most common way to ask someone their age in Chinese. It is typically used in informal settings.

Example:

Chinese: 你几岁？
Pinyin: Nǐ jǐ suì？
English: How old are you?

Variations:

There are a few variations of "你几岁？(Nǐ jǐ suì？)" that you may hear:

你多大 (nǐ duō dà): Another way to ask someone's age, literally meaning "how big are you?"
贵庚 (guì gēng): A more formal way to ask someone's age, typically used in written communication or when speaking to someone older or more respected.

Tips for Learning:

Practice saying "你几岁？(Nǐ jǐ suì？)" out loud to improve your pronunciation.
Listen to native Chinese speakers asking someone's age to get a sense of the natural rhythm and intonation.
Use "你几岁？(Nǐ jǐ suì？)" in your daily conversations to practice using it in context.

Additional Notes:

When answering the question "你几岁？(Nǐ jǐ suì？)", you can use the following phrases:

我今年...岁 (wǒ jīn nián ... suì): I am ... years old this year.
虚岁 ... 岁 (xū suì ... suì): I am ... years old by Chinese reckoning (which includes the year of birth).

For example:

Chinese: 我今年25岁。
Pinyin: Wǒ jīn nián èr shí wǔ suì。
English: I am 25 years old this year.

Chinese: 我虚岁26岁。
Pinyin: Wǒ xū suì èr shí liù suì。
English: I am 26 years old by Chinese reckoning.