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.
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?')
“问小孩儿，你几岁？” (To ask a child, say 'How old are you?')
| 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 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 5 stories
Real context sentences across different daily scenarios and graded readings.
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 。
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。
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。
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