How old are you in Chinese: 你多大了？

Chinese does not have one age question that fits every person and setting. Relationship, age, formality and context decide the wording. Asking someone’s age can also be sensitive, so the phrase should never be treated as a neutral question in every culture or workplace.

你多大了？ and 你几岁了？

你多大了？ asks “How old are you?” and is commonly used with peers or adults in informal conversation. 你几岁了？ uses 几 (how many, usually a small number) and is often directed to children or used when asking about a child’s age. Using 几岁 with an adult can sound as if you are treating them like a child.

您贵庚？ and formal age questions

您贵庚？ (nín guìgēng?) is a respectful, traditional way to ask an older adult’s age. 您多大年纪？ is another polite or formal option. These phrases can sound old-fashioned in some modern settings, but they remain useful in formal, ceremonial or respectful contexts.

How to answer

A straightforward answer is 我二十岁 (wǒ èrshí suì), “I am twenty years old.” 我今年二十岁 adds “this year” and sounds natural. People may also say 我二十多了 (“I’m in my twenties”), 我三十出头 (“I’m just over thirty”) or give a broader range to avoid an exact number.

周岁 and 虚岁

周岁 (zhōusuì) refers to completed years since birth and is the standard way age is counted in many modern contexts. 虚岁 (xūsuì) is a traditional reckoning that can make a person one or two years older depending on birth date and cultural convention. If an exact age matters for a form or formal context, clarify which system is being used.

Pronunciation and written form

你多大了？ is pronounced nǐ duō dà le? The 了 can be pronounced lightly. 你几岁了？ is nǐ jǐ suì le? and 贵庚 is guìgēng. These phrases are written the same in simplified and traditional Chinese. 岁 is simplified and 歲 is traditional.

When asking age may be inappropriate

Age can be personal, especially with strangers, colleagues, customers or people in a formal setting. In some contexts, a direct age question may feel intrusive. Ask only when the information is genuinely relevant, or let the other person volunteer it.

Design and learning notes

This is a conversational question rather than a calligraphic motto. In learning material, keep the distinction between 几岁 for children and 多大 for adults. If a phrase is used in a game or quiz, avoid encouraging repeated personal questions that make participants uncomfortable.

What it does not mean

The question asks for age, not maturity, ability, experience or social status. Age also does not determine whether someone should be treated with more or less respect; the relationship and context still matter.