你几岁？

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

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 can be used in both formal and 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:

几岁了 (jǐ suì le): A more formal way to ask someone's age, literally meaning "how many years old are you?"
贵庚 (guì gēng): A very formal way to ask someone's age, typically used when addressing someone who is much older or of a higher social status.

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 simply state your age, for example: "我二十岁 (wǒ èr shí suì)", which means "I am twenty years old."

• You can also use the following phrases to answer the question:

  • 虚岁 (xū suì): This refers to your "Chinese age", which is your age according to the traditional Chinese calendar. It is typically one or two years older than your actual age.
  • 实岁 (shí suì): This refers to your actual age.
• In some regions of China, people may also use the term "年龄 (nián líng)" instead of "岁 (suì)" when referring to age.