Significado
Asking for someone's age.
Contexto cultural
Asking age is common for children but sensitive for adults. It is often replaced by asking for one's 'Name Day' or zodiac sign in casual social settings to guess age indirectly. The 18th birthday is a major milestone as it marks legal adulthood. The 50th birthday is called 'apaļā jubileja' (the round anniversary) and is celebrated with great pomp. In rural areas, age was historically linked to the agricultural cycle. Someone might say they are 'as many years as the old oak' in a poetic sense. When answering age, Latvians often add 'tikai' (only) if they feel young or 'jau' (already) if they feel old.
The 11 Exception
Remember that 11 (vienpadsmit) takes the plural 'gadi', even though it ends in 1. Only 1, 21, 31, etc., take the singular 'gads'.
Don't say 'Tu esi...'
Avoid saying 'Tu esi 20 gadus vecs'. It sounds like a robot translated it from English.
Significado
Asking for someone's age.
The 11 Exception
Remember that 11 (vienpadsmit) takes the plural 'gadi', even though it ends in 1. Only 1, 21, 31, etc., take the singular 'gads'.
Don't say 'Tu esi...'
Avoid saying 'Tu esi 20 gadus vecs'. It sounds like a robot translated it from English.
Dropping 'ir'
In very casual settings, you can just say 'Cik tev gadu?'. It sounds very native!
Age and Respect
If you aren't sure whether to use 'tev' or 'jums', always go with 'jums' for anyone older than you.
Ponte a prueba
Choose the correct way to ask a child their age.
Sveiks! ______ ir gadu?
The standard construction is 'Cik' + dative 'tev' + 'ir' + 'gadu'.
Fill in the correct form of the word 'gads' (year).
Man ir divdesmit viens ______.
Numbers ending in 1 (except 11) take the nominative singular 'gads'.
Complete the formal dialogue.
A: Labdien, kungs! ______ ir gadu? B: Man ir septiņdesmit gadi.
Use 'jums' for formal address (kungs = sir).
Match the phrase to the situation.
Asking about your sister's age.
'Viņai' is the dative form for 'she'.
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Ayudas visuales
Banco de ejercicios
4 ejerciciosSveiks! ______ ir gadu?
The standard construction is 'Cik' + dative 'tev' + 'ir' + 'gadu'.
Man ir divdesmit viens ______.
Numbers ending in 1 (except 11) take the nominative singular 'gads'.
A: Labdien, kungs! ______ ir gadu? B: Man ir septiņdesmit gadi.
Use 'jums' for formal address (kungs = sir).
Asking about your sister's age.
'Viņai' is the dative form for 'she'.
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Preguntas frecuentes
10 preguntasThe word 'cik' (how many) acts as a quantifier that requires the following noun to be in the genitive plural case.
Yes! You can ask 'Cik šai mājai ir gadu?' (How old is this house?) using the dative 'mājai'.
Generally, yes, if you don't know her well. It's better to wait for her to mention it.
'Gadu' is genitive plural (used after 'cik'), while 'gadus' is accusative plural (used for duration, like 'trīs gadus').
Simply say 'Man ir divdesmit'. You can omit 'gadi' in casual speech.
Yes, Latvian 'r' is always slightly rolled or tapped.
You would say 'Man ir viens gads'.
You might hear 'Cik tev piesita?' which literally means 'How many [years] struck you?'.
Only on forms. In speech, 'Cik tev ir gadu?' is much more natural.
No, in this construction, 'ir' remains the same regardless of the number of years.
Frases relacionadas
Man ir ... gadi
builds onI am ... years old
Dzimšanas diena
similarBirthday
Kāds ir tavs vecums?
synonymWhat is your age?
Cik tev paliek?
specialized formHow many [years] are you turning?
Vecuma grupa
specialized formAge group
