How to Say “How old are you?” in Chinese
Relationships and family · HSK 1
"How old are you?" in Chinese is 你多大？ (nǐ duō dà). 你多大 (nǐ duō dà) is the neutral age question for adults and teens. For children use 你几岁 (nǐ jǐ suì, "how many years?"); 几 implies a small number.
Primary translation
你多大？
nǐ duō dà
Variants by register
Formal
您多大年纪？
nín duō dà nián jì
When to use it
你多大 (nǐ duō dà) is the neutral age question for adults and teens. For children use 你几岁 (nǐ jǐ suì, "how many years?"); 几 implies a small number. For elders, flip to the respectful 您多大年纪 (nín duō dà niánjì) or even 您贵庚 (nín guì gēng, very formal). Answers: small children use 五岁 (5 years old) with 岁; adults usually drop 岁 in speech: 二十八 (twenty-eight).
Example sentences
你多大？
Nǐ duō dà?
How old are you?
小朋友，你几岁？
Xiǎopéngyǒu, nǐ jǐ suì?
Little friend, how old are you?
我今年二十八岁。
Wǒ jīnnián èrshí bā suì.
I am twenty-eight this year.