Everyday Chinese phrase
How old are you in Chinese: 你多大了？
你多大了？ (nǐ duō dà le?) is a common way to ask an adult or peer how old they are. 你几岁了？ is often used for children or about a child, while 您贵庚？ is a very polite and traditional way to ask an older adult’s age.
Quick answer: 你多大了？ (nǐ duō dà le?) asks an adult or peer’s age. 你几岁了？ is often for children; 您贵庚？ is a respectful traditional question.
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.
How old are you in Chinese questions
How do you say how old are you in Chinese?
你多大了？ (nǐ duō dà le?) is common for adults or peers. 你几岁了？ is often used for children; 您贵庚？ is a respectful traditional question for an older adult.
Is 你几岁了 polite to an adult?
It can sound as if you are treating an adult like a child. For an adult peer, 你多大了？ is usually more appropriate in an informal setting.
How do you answer how old you are?
我二十岁 means “I am twenty.” 我今年二十岁 is also natural. 周岁 counts completed years, while 虚岁 is a traditional system that may count age differently.
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Which Chinese age question fits which listener?
The grammar is simple, but the relationship and age of the listener decide whether the question sounds natural, childish or blunt. Compare the common forms before using one in a real conversation.
| Listener | Common question | Pinyin | Tone and caution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small child | 你几岁了？ | nǐ jǐ suì le? | Natural for young children; 几 fits a small number. |
| Teenager or adult peer | 你多大了？ | nǐ duō dà le? | Common in informal conversation; can still be too direct with a stranger. |
| Adult, neutral-polite | 您今年多大？ | nín jīn nián duō dà? | Politer than 你多大了；still asks a personal question directly. |
| Older adult, respectful | 您多大年纪？ | nín duō dà nián jì? | More formal than 你多大了；适合敬重、清楚的目的。 |
| Older adult, traditional formal | 您贵庚？ | nín guì gēng? | Very respectful but old-fashioned in some modern settings. |
| Sensitive or professional context | 可以问一下您的年龄吗？ | kě yǐ wèn yī xià nín de nián líng ma? | Asks permission, but the topic can still be intrusive or unnecessary. |
A direct answer can be 我二十岁 (wǒ èr shí suì, I am twenty) or 我今年二十岁. If an exact number is unwanted, use a range such as 我二十多了 or 我三十出头. For a form, confirm whether the record uses 周岁 or another age convention; for ordinary conversation, answer only as precisely as the relationship warrants.
More questions about asking age in Chinese
Which age question should customer-service staff use?
Use age only when the service genuinely requires it. A neutral-polite form such as 您今年多大？ is less childish than 你几岁了，but explaining why the information is needed is usually better than asking abruptly.
Can I answer with a birth year instead of an age?
Yes, if the context makes that natural. 我是一九九五年出生的 states a birth year, which is more precise than an age that changes annually. Do not give an exact birth date unless it is actually required.
How do I say that I am in my twenties?
我二十多了 means that I am past twenty, in the twenty-something range. It is less exact than 我二十五岁 and avoids committing to a specific number.
Is 你多大了 always about age?
When directed at a person, it normally asks how old that person is. With an object, 多大 can ask about size or extent, so the subject and context still matter.
What is the difference between 你几岁了 and 你多大了?
你几岁了 is used for children, roughly up to the early teens. 你多大了 is the general question for teens and adults.
Can asking someone’s age be rude in Chinese?
Directly asking an adult’s age can be sensitive. Softer forms such as 您今年多大？, 您贵庚？ or an indirect question are gentler, especially with older or higher-status people.
What does 虚岁 mean?
虚岁 is the traditional age reckoning that can add one or two years. 周岁 is the actual age from birth and is the standard for official and most everyday use.
How do you give an approximate age?
Ranges such as 二十多, 三十出头, 快四十了 and 奔四 give an approximate age without a precise number.
What does 您贵庚 mean?
您贵庚 is a formal, traditional way to ask an older person’s age. It is respectful and more elaborate than a plain 你多大了？
Asking a child’s age versus an adult’s
The age question changes with who is being asked. 你几岁了？ (nǐ jǐ suì le?) suits children, roughly up to the early teens, because 几 (“how many,” for small numbers) fits a small count. 你多大了？ (nǐ duō dà le?) is the general question for teens and adults. Asking a small child 你多大了？ sounds too adult, while asking a teenager 你几岁了？ can sound as if you are talking to a child. The age of the listener, not just the grammar, decides which question fits.
Indirect and polite ways to ask about age
Directly asking an adult’s age can be sensitive, so Chinese offers softer routes. 您今年多大？ is neutral-polite. 您贵庚？ is a formal, traditional question for an older person. 您今年…？ trailed off invites the person to supply the number without a blunt question. For someone older or of higher status, an indirect form such as asking about a birth year in context is often gentler than a direct 你多大了？.
Answering with an age range or approximation
People often avoid a precise number. 二十多 (“twenty-something”), 三十出头 (“just past thirty”), 快四十了 (“almost forty”) and 奔四 (“heading toward forty,” informal) all give a range or direction. 我属龙 (“I was born in the year of the dragon”) can imply an age through the zodiac. These forms answer the spirit of the question while keeping the exact figure private, and they are common in everyday conversation.
周岁、虚岁 and the birthday question
China counts age two ways. 周岁 (zhōusuì) is the actual age counted from birth, now the standard for official and most everyday use. 虚岁 (xūsuì) is the traditional reckoning that can add one or even two years, and it is still used by some older people and in certain regions. When a number seems off by a year or two, 虚岁 is often the reason. If you need to clarify, 是周岁还是虚岁？ (“is that actual age or traditional age?”) resolves it.
Related everyday phrases
How old are you 你多大 sits among these expressions, but the polite or natural choice still depends on the relationship, time of day and whether the setting is spoken or written.