年齢 · Telling Age in Japanese

Learn how to say how old someone is, then practice.

1. The basic pattern: number + 歳 (-sai)

Say the number, then add 歳 (さい). For many ages this is simple: 2歳 = にさい, 5歳 = ごさい. The highlighted ages below are the ones that change.

2. Tens and the special 20

For bigger ages say the tens and then the ones: 32歳 = さんじゅうにさい. Remember the same sound changes: a last digit of 1 or 8 becomes いっさい / はっさい (21 = にじゅういっさい), and a round ten becomes じゅっさい (30 = さんじゅっさい).

Age 20 is special: it is read はたち (二十歳), not にじゅっさい.

3. Asking and answering

  • 何歳ですか。 (なんさいですか) “How old are you?” — casual and common with children or peers.
  • おいくつですか。 “May I ask your age?” — the polite version for adults.
  • 私は二十五歳です。 (わたしは にじゅうごさいです) “I’m 25.”
  • 〜代 (だい) gives a decade: 二十代 (にじゅうだい) = “in their twenties”.
  • You can also write age with 才 (e.g. 25才), a simpler character used informally.

4. Practice