Create an account and play

Explore first, then save your progress whenever you are ready. No email address is required.

Create an account and play

Explore first, then save your progress whenever you are ready. No email address is required.

1/11

The 15 on the cake shows her age. Add 「才です」 after a number to say how old someone is.

››

Lesson notes · ≈ JLPT N5 · Beginner 1

〜歳です~sai desu

State someone’s age

Add 「〜歳です」 after a number to state an age; 「おいくつですか」 asks more politely.

How it works

The 15 on the cake shows her age. Add 「才です」 after a number to say how old someone is.
To ask someone’s age, use 「何歳ですか」. Remember that 「何歳」 is read 「なんさい」.
You can answer with just 「18才です」. When both speakers know who you mean, you can leave out 「私は」.
To introduce a family member, say who they are, then their age. For example, 「姉は20才です」 means “My older sister is 20.”
You can also ask someone’s age with 「おいくつですか」. This is more polite; the answer still gives their age.

「18才」 is read 「じゅうはっさい」. Here, 八 becomes 「はっ」, so don’t say 「はちさい」.

「20才」 has a special reading: 「はたち」. To say your older sister is 20, use 「姉は20才です」.

For ages, 「才」 and 「歳」 mean the same thing and are both read 「さい」. Learn to recognize both spellings in example sentences.

鈴木
李さん、りさん何歳なんさいですか。か
Suzuki: Li, how old are you?
李
私わたしはわ18才じゅうはっさいです。です姉あねはわ20才はたちです。です妹いもうとはわ15才じゅうごさいです。です
Li: I'm 18. My older sister is 20. My younger sister is 15.
鈴木
そうですか。かお父さんおとうさんとお母さんおかあさんはわおいくつですか。か
Suzuki: I see. How old are your father and mother?
李
父ちちはわ50才、ごじゅっさい母はははわ48才よんじゅうはっさいです。です
Li: My father is 50, and my mother is 48.

Level 1 · Recognise
Which sentence is correct?
Level 1 · Recognise
Listen and choose the meaning
Level 2 · Build
Put the words in order
My father is 40 years old.
Level 3 · Use
What goes in the blank?
うちのペットは猫です。3 。
Our pet is a cat. It is 3 years old.