Saying your age
Word sets, Stage 1chunk 5 of 15Years and age
Lets you give your age and ask someone else's.
Mix-ups hassai and jussai shrink; twenty is hatachi, not nijuusai.
-sai
years old
issai, nisai, sansai, yonsai, gosai, rokusai, nanasai, hassai, kyuusai, jussai; twenty is hatachi; how old is nansai.
Often written 才 in casual writing.
musume, hassai ni natta yo.
My daughter just turned eight.
娘、八歳になったよ。
musume wa hassai ni narimashita.
My daughter has turned eight.
娘は八歳になりました。
Written 歳 · さいRank #625 in 3,030 TV dramas
nansai
how old
The plain way to ask an age; with an adult you don't know well, oikutsu desu ka is softer.
inu, ima nansai ni natta no?
How old is your dog now?
犬、今何歳になったの？
inu wa ima nansai ni narimashita ka?
How old is your dog now?
犬は今何歳になりましたか？
Written 何歳 · なんさいRank #5706 in 3,030 TV dramas
oikutsu
how old (polite); how many (polite)
The polite way to ask someone's age, also used warmly with small children.
Plain ikutsu asks 'how many', or 'how old' to a child.
boku, oikutsu?
How old are you, little guy?
僕、おいくつ？
Written おいくつRank not in the drama list; chosen on judgement
hatachi
twenty years old
The special word for age twenty; drinking and smoking become legal at hatachi.
Twenty-one goes back to the pattern: nijuuissai.
osake wa hatachi ni natte kara ne.
No alcohol until you're twenty.
お酒は二十歳になってからね。
osake wa hatachi ni natte kara desu.
Alcohol is for those twenty and over.
お酒は二十歳になってからです。
Written 二十歳 · はたちRank #3986 in 3,030 TV dramas