Jupiter, the Year Star, whose twelve-year orbit marked the cycle of years.
Year; age (years old); annual. Mountains (山) watching evening (夕) pass, year after year.
岁
Common Usage & Traps
- 几岁 — how old? (aimed at a child, casual)
- 三岁 — three years old
- 二十岁 — twenty years old
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我是三岁我三岁是 has no business in front of an age. The number goes straight after the person.
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我学中文三岁我学中文三年Time spent doing something uses 年, not 岁. 岁 only counts birthdays.
Why do you say 我三岁 but never 我三年?
岁 counts birthdays, 年 counts time passing. They never swap.
岁 counts how many birthdays you've had; 年 counts how many calendar years went by. So 'I'm three years old' is 我三岁, while 'I lived there three years' is 我在那儿住了三年. Swap them and you sound like a malfunctioning time machine.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Age: I'm three | 我三岁 | 我三年 |
| Duration: I lived there three years | 我在那儿住了三年 | 我在那儿住了三岁 |
Can I ask an adult 你几岁?
No. 几岁 is for kids. Ask grown-ups 你多大.
几岁 is what you ask a five-year-old holding a lollipop. Aim it at a grown-up and it lands somewhere between cute and insulting. 你多大 works for anyone, while 您多大年纪 is the polite version for elders.
| Situation | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Asking a small kid | 你几岁？ | 你多大？ |
| Asking a friend or adult | 你多大？ | 你几岁？ |
| Asking an elder politely | 您多大年纪？ | 您几岁？ |
Is it 我是三岁 or 我三岁?
Drop the 是. Age goes straight after the person.
There is no 是 before age, height, or prices. 我三岁 is already a complete sentence on its own. Adding 是 makes it sound like you're filing yourself under a category, which is not how people talk.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Stating your age | 我三岁 | 我是三岁 |
| Stating height | 他很高 | 他是很高 |
| Stating a price | 这个十块 | 这个是十块 |
Appears in Stories 6 stories
This simple HSK 2 story introduces a warm family of six. Follow Little Bao and his British wife as they raise their two green-eyed children, each with their own personality.
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他今年二十九 岁 。
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他爸爸五十多 岁 了。
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小包的女儿七 岁 ，儿子五 岁 。
Before you read, think about the questions you ask every day. This simple poem shows you how to ask age, price, time, and more in friendly Chinese.
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问小孩儿，你几 岁 ？
This playful reading contrasts small universities and big primary schools. You will practice basic words for school levels and sizes while enjoying a simple rhythmic verse.
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六 岁 上小学。
In this funny HSK 2 story, a boy asks his father for money every day. When his father tries to teach him a lesson, the boy's clever reply will make you laugh.
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钱老师说：“你已经十 岁 了，已经是个大孩子了。
Meet Dr. Mi, a doctor and teacher at Sichuan University. This simple HSK 1 story shows his daily routine from morning to night, helping you learn time expressions and everyday activities.
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他是我的同学米中家的爸爸，今年五十五 岁 。
A young man helps an old man look for his cat. But the real surprise is why the old man wanted to find the cat. Read on to learn about kindness and friendship.
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老先生对白天明说：“我 八十岁 了，儿子和女儿都在北京工作，我一个人住在这里。
Questions & Discussion 0 questions
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