m.
The astronomical cycle measuring a year by Jupiter's movement across the sky. A measure word for a person's age in years; a single full year of life. Evening moon (夕) dipping behind the mountain (山) — one year gone, one year gained.
岁
Common Usage & Traps
- 几岁 — how old (for children)
- 三岁 — three years old
- 二十岁 — twenty years old
- 今年二十岁 — twenty years old this year
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我是三岁我三岁是 before an age sounds like an English-style 'I am three'; Chinese just says number plus 岁.
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我有二十岁我二十岁有 is for possession; age uses number plus 岁 directly, not 'have' years.
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我三年我三岁年 counts duration; 岁 counts age. 我三年 alone sounds like an incomplete duration phrase.
Why does 我三岁 work but 我是三岁 sound wrong?
Drop 是 before an age; 岁 already carries the 'is' feeling.
Chinese treats age as a simple number plus 岁, not a description with 是. Say 我三岁, 他二十岁, 你几岁? If you add 是, it sounds like you are classifying yourself as a three-year-old object. Use 今年 if you want 'this year': 我今年三十岁. The same no-是 pattern applies to 几岁 questions.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Telling your age | 我三岁。 | 我是三岁。 |
| Asking a child | 你几岁？ | 你是几岁？ |
| With this year | 我今年二十岁。 | 我今年是二十岁。 |
Can I ask an adult 你几岁?
几岁 is for kids; ask adults 多大 or 多大年纪.
几岁 fits small children, usually under ten. For teens and adults, say 多大 or 您多大年纪. Asking an adult 你几岁 can sound childish, patronizing, or like a joke. The story line says 问小孩儿，你几岁？, so the child target makes 几岁 correct. If you swap in your boss, use 您多大年纪 instead. “问小孩儿，你几岁？” (To ask a child, say 'How old are you?') ── [《问问题》](/read/asking-questions-daily-life#s5)
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Asking a child | 你几岁？ | 你多大？ |
| Asking an adult | 你多大？ / 您多大年纪？ | 你几岁？ |
| Tone | Childish and cute for kids | Childish or rude for adults |
What changes when you add 了 to 我二十岁?
我二十岁 states your age; 我二十岁了 marks a milestone.
Without 了, 我二十岁 simply states your current age. With 了, 我二十岁了 means you have reached or turned twenty. The 了 marks a change, like a birthday milestone, not past tense. If someone asks 你多大？, answer 我二十岁. If you just blew out candles, say 我二十岁了. See [change 了](/grammar/le1-completed-aspect-62) for the wider pattern.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Plain age | 我二十岁。 | 我二十岁了。 (if you only mean 'I am 20') |
| Just turned | 我二十岁了。 | 我二十岁。 (if you mean 'I just turned 20') |
| Birthday line | 今天我二十岁了。 | 今天我二十岁。 (when focusing on the change) |
Appears in Stories 2 stories
Real context sentences across different daily scenarios and graded readings.
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。
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 ？
Questions & Discussion 0 questions
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