How to say your age in Japanese?

 


How to say your age in Japanese? 


The counter for age in Japanese is さい (sai). 

 

In the previous blog, I’ve already discussed how to count in Japanese, so it is easy to tell your age in Japanese. So, if someone asks your age, you can say the number and put さい after it. 


 

Example:

               60 years old – ろくじゅっさい (rokujussai)

               33 years old – さんじゅうさん さい (sanjuusan sai)

               20 years old – はたち (hatachi)

          15 years old – じゅうごさい (juugo sai)

                 8 years old – はっさい

                 1-year-old – いっさい (issai)

 

 


For 1, 8 and 20 years old, the Japanese age is read differently from the other numbers. Instead of いちさい for 1 year old, it is いっさい while for 8 years old, it is はっさいinstead of はちさい. For 20 years old, instead of saying にじゅうさい, use はたち without putting さい

 

 


なんさいですか? (nansai desu ka?) – how old are you?

おいくつですか? (o ikutsu desu ka?) – how old are you? (Formal way of asking someone’s age)

 


とし (toshi) – Japanese word for age 

としうえ (toshi ue)– older by age

としした (toshi shita) – younger by age

 

ねん (nen) – Japanese word for year

 



Both とし and ねん have the same Kanji which is . ねん is the おんよみ or the Chinese reading while としis the くんよみ or the Japanese reading. I will discuss this further in Kanji lessons. Please look forward to it.

 

Japanese are sometimes hesitant to say their age, so be careful when asking. They usually answer politely even though they don’t want to say it especially for women who are already in their 30’s. 


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You can also check the sample of Age Conversation:


Updated post: July 16, 2022

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I'll see you in the next blog.




This is Ringo. 












If you want to learn my previous post, you can check it through the link below: 


>> Honorifics in Japan

>> Let’s talk about Family

>> Let’s talk about time

>> Basic Greetings in Hiragana

>> Summary - June






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