A comprehensive guide to vocabulary and grammar for talking about age in Spanish, including numbers, expressions, and cultural notes.

Talking about age in Spanish involves more than just numbers. You need the right verbs, phrases, and cultural context to express yourself naturally. This document covers all the essential vocabulary and grammar to help you talk about age with confidence.

Numbers for Age

Before you can say how old someone is, you need to know the numbers. Here are the Spanish numbers from 1 to 100, which are enough for most age conversations.

Spanish Número	English Number	Spanish Example	English Example
uno / una	one	Tengo una hermana.	I have one sister.
dos	two	Tengo dos gatos.	I have two cats.
tres	three	Mi hermano tiene tres años.	My brother is three years old.
cuatro	four	Ella tiene cuatro libros.	She has four books.
cinco	five	Tengo cinco amigos.	I have five friends.
diez	ten	Tengo diez años.	I am ten years old.
veinte	twenty	Mi primo tiene veinte años.	My cousin is twenty years old.
treinta	thirty	Mi madre tiene treinta años.	My mother is thirty years old.
cuarenta	forty	Mi abuelo tiene cuarenta años.	My grandfather is forty years old.
cincuenta	fifty	Mi tía tiene cincuenta años.	My aunt is fifty years old.
cien	one hundred	Mi perro tiene cien días.	My dog is one hundred days old.

Note: For numbers above 30, Spanish uses “treinta y uno,” “cuarenta y dos,” etc.

Mi madre tiene ___ años.

How do you say 'thirty' in Spanish?

veinte

treinta

cuarenta

cinco

treinta

'Treinta' is the Spanish word for 'thirty.'

Saying How Old You Are

In Spanish, you use the verb tener (to have) to talk about age, not ser as in English.

Spanish Pronoun	Spanish Conjugation	English Conjugation	Spanish Example	English Example
yo	tengo	I have	Yo tengo 25 años.	I am 25 years old.
tú	tienes	you have	¿Cuántos años tienes?	How old are you?
él / ella	tiene	he/she has	Ella tiene 30 años.	She is 30 years old.
nosotros/as	tenemos	we have	Tenemos 20 años.	We are 20 years old.
vosotros/as	tenéis	you (pl.) have	¿Tenéis ustedes 18 años?	Are you (pl.) 18 years old?
ellos/as	tienen	they have	Ellos tienen 22 años.	They are 22 years old.

Nosotros/as ___ 20 años. (tener)

How do you say 'We are 20 years old' in Spanish?

tenéis

tenemos

tienen

tengo

tenemos

'Tenemos' is the correct form for 'nosotros/as' in the verb 'tener.'

Common Age Expressions

Here are some common ways to talk about age more naturally in Spanish.

Spanish Expression	English Expression	Spanish Example	English Example
¿Cuántos años tienes?	How old are you?	¿Cuántos años tienes?	How old are you?
Tengo ... años	I am ... years old	Tengo 16 años.	I am 16 years old.
nacer	to be born	Nací en 2000.	I was born in 2000.
mayor que	older than	Soy mayor que mi hermano.	I am older than my brother.
menor que	younger than	Soy menor que mi hermana.	I am younger than my sister.
cumplir años	to have a birthday / turn ...	Cumplo 18 años mañana.	I turn 18 tomorrow.

Talking About Birth Year

You can also say when someone was born instead of their age.

Spanish Expression	English Expression	Spanish Example	English Example
¿En qué año naciste?	What year were you born?	¿En qué año naciste?	What year were you born?
Nací en ...	I was born in ...	Nací en 1995.	I was born in 1995.
Soy de ...	I am from ... (year)	Soy de 2003.	I am from 2003.
Tengo ... años porque nací en ...	I’m ... years old because I was born in ...	Tengo 18 años porque nací en 2006.	I’m 18 because I was born in 2006.

Cultural Notes

In Spanish-speaking countries, asking about age is common and not considered rude, especially among family and friends.
Children usually say their age using tener (e.g., tengo cinco años).
When talking about adults, sometimes people just say the age number without “años” if it’s clear from context.
Cumplir años* literally means “to fulfill years” but is the standard way to say “have a birthday” or “turn [age].”

Tips for Learners

Always use tener + number + años to say your age.
Use ¿Cuántos años tienes? to ask someone their age.
Don’t say “Soy 20 años” (I am 20 years old). It should be *“Tengo 20 años.”
Practice using cumplir años when talking about birthdays (e.g., Mañana cumplo 30 años).

Now you have everything you need to talk about age in Spanish—¡feliz aprendizaje! (Happy learning!)

What should you avoid saying when talking about your age in Spanish?

Tengo 20 años.

Soy 20 años.

Tengo veinte años.

Tengo 20.

Soy 20 años.

Don't say ‘Soy 20 años’; use ‘Tengo 20 años’ instead.

Flashcards (1 of 27)

English Number: one
English Example: I have one sister.

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Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025

Spanish

Talking Age