When you want to ask someone's age in Japanese, you can use the phrase なんさい (nansai). This is a common and straightforward way to inquire about age. It's often used with people you are comfortable with or in situations where asking age is appropriate.
While なんさい is generally polite, remember that in Japanese culture, directly asking an adult's age can sometimes be considered impolite, especially if you don't know them well. However, it's perfectly fine to use when speaking to children or in contexts where age is relevant, such as determining appropriate honorifics.
When asking about someone's age in Japanese, you'll typically use the phrase なんさい (nansai), which literally translates to "what age." It's a versatile phrase that can be used in most situations when you want to inquire about a person's age. For example, to ask "How old are you?" you would say 「なんさいですか。」
While なんさい is generally appropriate, for very young children, you might hear 「おいくつですか。」 This is a slightly softer way to ask, though なんさい is still perfectly understandable. Remember that in Japanese culture, directly asking an adult's age can sometimes be considered impolite, especially if you don't know them well. It's often better to wait for them to volunteer the information or find a more indirect way if it's necessary to know.
When asking about someone's age in Japanese, you can use the word なんさい (nansai). This literally means 'how many years old?'. It's a direct way to inquire about age and is generally polite in most casual or semi-formal situations. However, when speaking to someone much older or in a very formal context, you might opt for a more honorific expression like おいくつ (o-ikutsu) to show greater respect.
When asking about someone's age in Japanese, you can use the word なんさい (nansai). This literally means "how many years old." It's a direct and common way to inquire about age and is appropriate in most casual and semi-formal situations. While there are more polite ways to ask, なんさい is widely understood and used.
なんさい en 30 secondes
- Use 'nansai' to ask 'how old' someone is.
- It's a polite and common way to inquire about age.
- Appropriate for most social settings when asking about age.
How Formal Is It?
"おいくつでいらっしゃいますか？ (oikutsu de irasshaimasu ka?) - How old are you? (very polite, used with superiors)"
"おいくつですか？ (oikutsu desu ka?) - How old are you? (polite, common)"
"なんさい？ (nansai?) - How old are you? (casual, used with friends)"
"なんちゃい？ (nanchai?) - How old are you? (cute, used with young children)"
"としいくつ？ (toshi ikutsu?) - How old? (very casual, almost rude depending on context)"
Le savais-tu ?
The 'sai' character (歳) is also used for counting objects that have a long, thin shape, like pencils or bottles.
Exemples par niveau
しつれいですが、おいくつですか？
Excuse me, how old are you? (polite)
「おいくつですか」 is a polite way to ask someone's age.
あなたのねんれいはなんさいですか？
What is your age? (neutral)
「あなたのねんれい」 means 'your age'.
かのじょはなんさいですか？
How old is she?
「かのじょ」 means 'she' or 'her'.
かれはなんさいですか？
How old is he?
「かれ」 means 'he' or 'him'.
このこどもはなんさいですか？
How old is this child?
「このこども」 means 'this child'.
あなたのいもうとはなんさいですか？
How old is your younger sister?
「いもうと」 means 'younger sister'.
あなたのことしはなんさいですか？
How old are you this year?
「ことし」 means 'this year'.
あのひとはなんさいですか？
How old is that person?
「あのひと」 means 'that person'.
しつれいですが、おいくつですか？
Excuse me, but how old are you? (polite)
「おいくつですか」is a more polite way to ask for someone's age than 「なんさいですか」.
お子さんはおいくつですか？
How old are your children?
「お子さん」is a polite way to refer to someone else's child.
あなたの猫はなんさいですか？
How old is your cat?
「あなたの」is the possessive particle. 「猫」means cat.
たなかさんはなんさいかしっていますか？
Do you know how old Mr. Tanaka is?
「～かしっていますか」is a common way to ask if someone knows something.
あなたの弟さんはなんさいですか？
How old is your younger brother?
「弟さん」is a polite way to refer to someone else's younger brother.
この会社はなんさいですか？
How old is this company?
「会社」means company. You can use 「なんさい」for the age of things too, though 「何年目ですか」 (how many years old is it?) is also common for organizations.
かれはなんさいに見えますか？
How old does he look?
「～に見えます」means 'looks like ~'.
うちの犬はもう１０さいです。
Our dog is already 10 years old.
「うちの」means 'our' (informal). 「もう」means 'already'.
失礼ですが、おいくつでいらっしゃいますか？
Excuse me, but how old are you? (Polite)
A more polite way to ask about age, using 'oikutsu' instead of 'nansai' and 'de irasshaimasu ka' as a polite form of 'desu ka'.
お子さんは今なんさいですか？小学校に入学しましたか？
How old is your child now? Have they started elementary school?
Directly uses 'nansai' in a natural conversational context.
彼女は見た目よりもずっと若く見えますが、本当はなんさいなんでしょう？
She looks much younger than her age, but how old is she really?
Speculative use of 'nansai nan deshou?' to wonder about someone's age.
この犬はなんさいくらいだと思いますか？
How old do you think this dog is?
Asking about the approximate age of an animal using 'nansai kurai'.
あなたの弟さんはなんさいですか？私と同じくらいですか？
How old is your younger brother? Is he about the same age as me?
Comparing ages after asking directly.
彼はなんさいで会社を設立したんですか？
How old was he when he founded the company?
Asking about age at a specific past event.
初めて海外に行ったのはなんさいの時でしたか？
How old were you when you first went abroad?
Asking about age at a specific past event.
その有名な俳優はなんさいになっても、ずっとかっこいいですね。
No matter how old that famous actor gets, he's always cool.
Uses 'nansai ni natte mo' (no matter what age they become) to express a continuous state.
Souvent confondu avec
This means 'when' and is used for asking about time, not age. E.g., 'Tanjoubi wa itsu desu ka?' (When is your birthday?)
This means 'how many' or 'how old'. While 'oikutsu' is the polite form for age, 'ikutsu' can also be used for counting general items. E.g., 'Ringou wa ikutsu arimasu ka?' (How many apples are there?)
This means 'how long' or 'how much' (of a quantity or duration). It's not used for asking a person's specific age. E.g., 'Nihon ni dono kurai imasu ka?' (How long have you been in Japan?)
Modèles grammaticaux
Facile à confondre
Many learners assume 'oikutsu' and 'nansai' are interchangeable for asking age. While both ask 'how old?', 'oikutsu' is the more polite and generally safer option.
'Oikutsu' is polite, suitable for general use, and shows respect. 'Nansai' can be perceived as less polite, especially when addressing strangers or those in a higher social position.
おいくつですか？ (oikutsu desu ka?) - How old are you? (Polite)
Learners might think 'toshi' alone can be used to ask age, similar to 'age' in English. However, 'toshi' primarily means 'year' or 'age' as a concept, not directly 'how old?'.
'Toshi' is a noun referring to 'age' in general. To ask someone's age, you'd combine it with 'ikutsu' or 'nansai' or use a more complete phrase like 'おとしはいくつですか？' (o-toshi wa ikutsu desu ka?).
としをとる (toshi o toru) - to get older (lit. to take age)
'Sai' is the counter for age, but learners sometimes mistakenly use it as a standalone question word.
'Sai' is always used with a number to state an age (e.g., 20-sai for 20 years old) or with 'nan' to form 'nansai' (how many years old). It's not used by itself to ask 'how old?'.
ごさい (go-sai) - five years old
'Nenrei' is typically used in formal contexts or when discussing age in a general, impersonal way. For directly asking a person's age in conversation, 'oikutsu' or 'nansai' are preferred.
ねんれいせいきゅう (nenrei seikyuu) - age requirement
Since birthdays are related to age, some learners might mix up asking about a birthday with asking about age directly.
'Tanjoubi' means 'birthday'. While related to age, it's a different question entirely. Asking 'Tanjoubi wa itsu desu ka?' (When is your birthday?) is not the same as asking 'How old are you?'.
たんじょうびおめでとう (tanjoubi omedetou) - Happy birthday
Structures de phrases
おいくつ です か。
おいくつ です か。 (How old are you?)
〜さい です。
わたし は じゅうごさい です。 (I am 15 years old.)
なんさい です か。
かのじょ は なんさい です か。 (How old is she?)
〜は なんさい です か。
あなたの おとうさん は なんさい です か。 (How old is your father?)
〜の とき、〜。
わたし は こどもの とき、よく げーむ を しました。 (When I was a child, I often played games.)
〜から、〜。
かれ は ごさいから ぴあの を ひいています。 (He has been playing piano since he was 5 years old.)
〜に なります。
らいねん わたし は はたち に なります。 (Next year I will be 20 years old.)
〜ごろ
かれ は にじゅっさい ごろ けっこん しました。 (He got married around 20 years old.)
Comment l'utiliser
When asking someone's age, なんさい (nansai) is the common way to say it. However, it can be seen as less polite, especially when speaking to adults or people older than you. For a more polite way to ask, use おいくつ (oikutsu). You can also use おいくつでいらっしゃいますか (oikutsu de irasshaimasu ka) for an even more formal approach. For children, なんさい (nansai) is perfectly acceptable.
A common mistake is using なんさい (nansai) with everyone, regardless of their age or your relationship with them. While it's not grammatically incorrect, it can sound blunt or impolite in certain situations. Remember to switch to おいくつ (oikutsu) when you need to be more respectful. Another mistake is forgetting the interrogative particle か (ka) when asking a question, for example, saying 'なんさいです' instead of 'なんさいですか'.
Astuces
Basic use of なんさい
なんさい (nansai) is the most common way to ask someone's age in Japanese. It literally means 'how many years old?'
Adding ですか for politeness
To make it a polite question, add ですか (desu ka) after なんさい: なんさいですか (nansai desu ka)? This means 'How old are you?'
Age and social hierarchy
In Japanese culture, knowing someone's age is important because it often determines the level of politeness and honorifics you should use. Be prepared to adjust your language accordingly.
When to avoid asking age
While common, asking an adult's age directly can sometimes be considered impolite, especially in formal situations or with strangers. Use your judgment.
Alternative for older individuals
For older individuals, especially respected elders, おいくつですか (oikutsu desu ka) is a more polite and respectful way to ask someone's age.
Answering your age
To answer, state your age followed by です (desu). For example, 25歳です (nijuugo-sai desu) means 'I am 25 years old.'
Counters for age
The counter for age in Japanese is 歳 (sai). So, you count '一歳 (issai)', '二歳 (nisai)', etc. Just remember that なんさい is the question word.
Irregular counting for age
Be aware of some irregular pronunciations for age, like はたち (hatachi) for 20 years old, which is very common.
Asking about objects' age
While なんさい is for people, to ask about the age of objects or buildings, you might use どのくらいふるいですか (dono kurai furui desu ka - 'How old/long has it been?').
Context is key
Always consider the context and your relationship with the person when asking about age. With friends, なんさいですか is perfectly fine.
Origine du mot
From 'nan' (何, what) + 'sai' (歳, years old).
Sens originel : What years old?
Sino-Japanese vocabulary.Contexte culturel
In Japanese culture, age is an important aspect of social interaction. When asking someone's age, especially in a formal setting or to someone older, it's polite to use 'o-いくつ desu ka' (おいくつですか), which is a more respectful way of inquiring. However, for friends or children, 'nansai desu ka' (なんさいですか) is perfectly fine.
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsYou use なんさい (nansai) when you want to ask someone their age. It's a direct way to inquire about how old a person is.
なんさい (nansai) itself is a neutral term. You need to combine it with polite sentence endings like ですか (desu ka) to make it polite: なんさいですか (nansai desu ka).
Both ask for age. なんさい (nansai) is standard. おいくつ (oikutsu) is a more polite and honorific way to ask someone's age, often used for elders or people you want to show extra respect to.
Yes, you can use なんさい (nansai) for children. For example, お子さんはなんさいですか (okosan wa nansai desu ka)? (How old is your child?)
You answer with your age followed by です (desu). For example, if you are 25, you'd say 25さいです (nijuugo sai desu).
Yes, there are a few irregular age readings, especially for 1, 8, 10, and 20. For example, 1さい (issai), 8さい (hassai), 10さい (jussai/jissai), and 20さい (hatachi) for 20 years old, which is a unique reading.
No, なんさい (nansai) is specifically used for asking a person's age. For objects, you might ask about their age in terms of how old they are since they were made, but you wouldn't use なんさい.
If you don't want to disclose your age, you can politely say 秘密です (himitsu desu), which means 'It's a secret,' or subtly change the topic.
Yes, you can. For example, かれはなんさいですか (kare wa nansai desu ka)? (How old is he?)
While not inherently rude, directly asking なんさいですか (nansai desu ka) to an older stranger in a very formal setting without prior conversation might be considered a bit abrupt. It's generally better to use おいくつですか (oikutsu desu ka) in such cases or build up to the question naturally.
Teste-toi 66 questions
おいくつですか。 (O ikutsu desu ka?) or ___ですか。(___ desu ka?)
To ask 'How old are you?' informally, you can use なんさいですか (Nansai desu ka?).
田中さんは ___ ですか。(Tanaka-san wa ___ desu ka?)
なんさい (nansai) is used to ask about someone's age. So the sentence means 'How old is Mr./Ms. Tanaka?'
あなたの妹さんは ___ ですか。(Anata no imōto-san wa ___ desu ka?)
いくつ (ikutsu) is another way to ask 'How old?' especially for younger people or things. The sentence means 'How old is your younger sister?'
お父さんは ___ ですか。(Otōsan wa ___ desu ka?)
Here, なんさい (nansai) is used to inquire about the age of 'father'.
この猫は ___ ですか。(Kono neko wa ___ desu ka?)
You can also use なんさい (nansai) to ask the age of pets. The sentence means 'How old is this cat?'
弟さんは ___ ですか。(Otōto-san wa ___ desu ka?)
いくつ (ikutsu) is suitable for asking the age of a younger brother or someone younger in general. The sentence means 'How old is your younger brother?'
Listen for 'how old are you'.
Listen for the polite way to ask 'how old are you'.
Listen for asking 'Mary, how old are you?'.
Read this aloud:
なんさいですか。
Focus: nan-sai desu ka
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Read this aloud:
おいくつですか。
Focus: o-ikutsu desu ka
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Read this aloud:
ジョンさん、なんさいですか。
Focus: jon-san, nan-sai desu ka
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This sentence asks, 'How old is Mary?'
This sentence asks, 'How old are your parents?' おいくつ is a polite way to ask for age.
This sentence asks, 'How old is your younger sister?'
Listen for how someone asks about Mr. Tanaka's child's age.
Listen for how someone states their younger sister will turn 20 this year.
Listen for how someone asks 'When is your birthday?'
Read this aloud:
お父さんは今、何歳ですか？
Focus: なんさい
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Read this aloud:
私の友達は25歳です。
Focus: にじゅうごさい
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Read this aloud:
来年、弟は七歳になります。
Focus: ななさい
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This sentence asks 'How old is Mary?' in a polite way. The particles 'は' (wa) marks the topic and 'です' (desu) is a polite copula. '何歳' (nansai) means 'how old'.
This is a polite way to ask 'How old are you?'. 'おいくつ' (o-ikutsu) is a more polite version of '何歳' (nansai).
This sentence means 'She is twenty years old'. '二十歳' (hatachi) is a special reading for twenty years old.
Choose the most appropriate response to 「すみません、おいくつですか？」
「おいくつですか？」is a polite way to ask someone's age. '25歳です。' (I am 25 years old) is a direct and appropriate answer to an age inquiry.
Which sentence correctly uses a polite form to ask an adult's age?
「おいくつでいらっしゃいますか？」is the most polite way to ask an adult's age, using honorific language (keigo). Other options are less formal or direct.
If someone asks 「お子さんはおいくつですか？」, what are they asking about?
「お子さん」means 'your child' (polite form), so the question is asking about the age of one's child.
「なんさい」is generally used when asking a child's age or when speaking informally.
「なんさい」is a common and informal way to ask age, suitable for children or close acquaintances. For adults or formal situations, 「おいくつですか」is more appropriate.
It is always polite to ask someone their exact age in Japan.
In Japanese culture, directly asking someone's age, especially an adult, can be considered impolite, particularly in initial encounters or formal settings. It's often better to wait for the topic to arise naturally or to use more indirect phrasing if necessary.
If you are unsure of someone's age, 「おいくつですか」is a safer and more polite option than 「なんさいですか」.
「おいくつですか」is the polite form of asking 'how old are you?' and is generally safe to use when addressing adults, especially when you are unsure of their age or status.
Someone politely asking for an age.
A question about knowing someone's age.
Asking about a daughter's current age.
Read this aloud:
失礼ですが、おいくつでいらっしゃいますか？
Focus: いらっしゃいますか
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Read this aloud:
すみません、その方は何歳くらいですか？
Focus: くらいですか
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Read this aloud:
お子さんはもうおいくつですか？
Focus: もうおいくつですか
Tu as dit :
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This is a common way to politely ask about someone's child's age in Japanese. The particles と and は are essential for grammatical correctness.
This sentence expresses a common observation about someone's age and then asks for their actual age. The conjunction ですが (but) is crucial for combining the two clauses.
This is a very polite and indirect way to ask someone's age, often used in formal situations or when one wants to be particularly deferential. Phrases like 失礼ですが (excuse me, but) and もし差し支えなければ (if you don't mind) are key to its politeness.
Choose the most polite way to ask a superior about their age.
「おいくつでいらっしゃいますか」is the most respectful form of asking someone's age, suitable for superiors. 「なんさいですか」is a standard polite form. The others are too casual for a superior.
Which of these phrases would you use when asking a young child their age?
When speaking to a young child, a more informal and direct question like 「なんさい？」is appropriate. The other options are too formal or polite for a child.
You want to discreetly ask a colleague about another colleague's age. Which phrasing is most appropriate in a casual office setting?
「田中さんって、おいくつくらいなんでしょうか？」uses 'って' for casual topic marking, 'おいくつ' for politeness, and 'くらいなんでしょうか' to soften the inquiry, making it suitable for discreetly asking about a third party in a casual office setting. Directly asking with 'なんさいですか' is still polite but less discreet when referring to someone else. The other options are too direct for a third party inquiry or too formal.
It is always appropriate to directly ask 'なんさいですか' to anyone you meet in Japan.
While 'なんさいですか' is polite, it can still be considered personal in Japanese culture, especially when meeting someone for the first time or if there isn't a close relationship. More indirect or softer approaches might be preferred depending on the context and relationship.
The phrase 'おいくつ' is a more polite and formal alternative to 'なんさい'.
「おいくつ」is indeed a more respectful and formal way to inquire about someone's age, often used in business settings or with people of higher status.
When talking about the age of an inanimate object or an animal, 'なんさい' is the correct term to use.
While 'なんさい' can be used for pets, for inanimate objects, one would typically use different expressions depending on what 'age' refers to (e.g., how old a building is would be 「築何年 (ちくなんねん)」, not 「なんさい」).
Which of the following would be the most appropriate way to ask an elder's age, considering politeness levels?
「おいくつですか」is the most polite and appropriate way to inquire about an elder's age. 「なんさいですか」is more direct and generally used among peers or for younger individuals. 「としは？」and「おいくつ？」are informal and should be avoided in formal contexts.
You want to ask a child how old they are. Which of these options is the most natural and friendly?
When speaking to a child, 「なんさいですか」is perfectly natural and friendly. The other options are too formal or polite for a child.
Your friend introduces you to a new acquaintance. You want to subtly ask their age without being too direct. Which phrase might be used in a broader context to gather such information indirectly, if age comes up in conversation?
While still a direct question, 「ご年齢はおいくつですか」is a very polite way to ask for someone's age in a formal or slightly less casual setting. 「おいくつになられましたか」can sound a bit like commenting on their age, and the others are either too direct (asking for birth date) or less common.
When asking about the age of a newborn baby, it is common to say 「なんさいですか」.
For newborns or very young children, it's more common to ask 「何ヶ月ですか」(How many months old?) or 「何か月になりますか」, as 'さい' (years old) isn't appropriate for less than a year.
It is generally considered rude to ask an adult's age directly in Japanese social settings unless there's a specific context requiring it (e.g., job application).
In Japanese culture, directly asking an adult's age, especially a woman's, is often considered impolite or intrusive unless there's a clear reason or established close relationship.
The phrase 「なんさい」can only be used when inquiring about a human's age.
「なんさい」can also be used to ask about the age of animals, especially pets. For example, 「あなたの犬は何歳ですか」(How old is your dog?).
Listen to how someone politely asks about age.
Listen to someone asking 'How old do I look?'
Listen to a question about knowing someone else's age.
Read this aloud:
お子さんは何歳ですか？
Focus: 何歳 (nan-sai)
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Read this aloud:
お父様は何歳でいらっしゃいますか？
Focus: いらっしゃいますか (irasshaimasu ka)
Tu as dit :
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Read this aloud:
この犬は何歳ぐらいだと思いますか？
Focus: 何歳ぐらい (nan-sai gurai)
Tu as dit :
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/ 66 correct
Perfect score!
Summary
「なんさい」is a straightforward and polite way to ask 'how old' someone is in Japanese, making it a useful phrase for learners.
- Use 'nansai' to ask 'how old' someone is.
- It's a polite and common way to inquire about age.
- Appropriate for most social settings when asking about age.
Basic use of なんさい
なんさい (nansai) is the most common way to ask someone's age in Japanese. It literally means 'how many years old?'
Adding ですか for politeness
To make it a polite question, add ですか (desu ka) after なんさい: なんさいですか (nansai desu ka)? This means 'How old are you?'
Age and social hierarchy
In Japanese culture, knowing someone's age is important because it often determines the level of politeness and honorifics you should use. Be prepared to adjust your language accordingly.
When to avoid asking age
While common, asking an adult's age directly can sometimes be considered impolite, especially in formal situations or with strangers. Use your judgment.
Contenu associé
Ce mot dans d'autres langues
Plus de mots sur general
いくつか
B1An unspecified small number of things; some, a few.
ちょっと
A2A little; a moment; a bit. Small amount or short time.
すこし
A2A little; a few.
さっき
A2A little while ago; a short time past.
能力
A1Nouryoku refers to the mental or physical power, skill, or capacity required to perform a specific task or function. It can describe both innate talent and skills acquired through learning and practice.
異常
A1A word used to describe something that deviates from the normal state, standard, or expected pattern. It often implies a problem, malfunction, or an extraordinary occurrence that requires attention or investigation.
～について
A2About, concerning; indicates topic.
〜について
B1About, concerning; on the subject of.
～ぐらい
A2about, approximately
ぐらい
A2About; approximately; to the extent of.
