How to say “how old are you” in Chinese
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Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Word by word
Tone tip
你多大 ('how big') is for teens and adults. For a young child use 你几岁 (nǐ jǐ suì); for an elder, the polite 您多大年纪 (nín duō dà niánjì).
In a sentence
Nǐ duō dà le? Wǒ èrshíwǔ suì.
How old are you? I'm twenty-five.
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Start freeFrequently asked questions
How do you say "how old are you" in Chinese?+
"how old are you" in Mandarin Chinese is 你多大, pronounced nǐ duō dà. 你多大 ('how big') is for teens and adults. For a young child use 你几岁 (nǐ jǐ suì); for an elder, the polite 您多大年纪 (nín duō dà niánjì).
What does 你多大 mean literally?+
你多大 breaks down as 你 (nǐ) = you, 多 (duō) = how (much), 大 (dà) = big / old. Together it means "how old are you".
How do I get the tones right in nǐ duō dà?+
你多大 ('how big') is for teens and adults. For a young child use 你几岁 (nǐ jǐ suì); for an elder, the polite 您多大年纪 (nín duō dà niánjì).
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