Asking and Telling Age
When you want to ask someone's age in Spanish, you use the question ¿Cuántos años tienes? which means "How many years do you have?" To answer, you say Tengo [number] años, which translates to "I am [number] years old." For example, Tengo veinte años means "I am twenty years old." The word años means "years," and it is essential when talking about age.
Vocabulary for Age
The key vocabulary includes años (years), tener (to have, used to express age), and numbers. Remember that in Spanish, the verb tener is used to express age, unlike English where we use "to be." You combine it with a number and años to form your response. For example, tengo diez años means "I am ten years old."
Numbers Related to Age
Knowing numbers is important for stating age. The numbers from one to thirty are commonly used when talking about age for children or young adults. Examples include uno (1), diez (10), veinte (20), and treinta (30). To form numbers between these, Spanish combines tens and units, like veintidós (22).
Useful Phrases for Age
Besides ¿Cuántos años tienes? and Tengo... años, you might use:
- ¿Cuántos años tiene él/ella? - "How old is he/she?"
- Él/Ella tiene... años. - "He/She is... years old."
These phrases allow you to ask and talk about other people's ages. Using the verb tener correctly with pronouns is important for clarity.
Cultural Tips
In Spanish-speaking cultures, asking someone's age is common in casual conversations, but it can be considered personal or sensitive in some contexts. It's polite to gauge the situation before asking. Children’s ages are often shared easily, making ¿Cuántos años tienes? a frequent question among kids.
Practice Example
If someone asks ¿Cuántos años tienes?, you can reply:
Tengo quince años. (I am fifteen years old.)
Or when talking about someone else:
Mi hermana tiene diez años. (My sister is ten years old.)
