In Japanese, the counter sai is used to express how old one is. It can be written with two different kanji: the traditional 歳 and the simplified and most commonly used 才.
To ask someone "how old are you?," you can say:
- Nan sai desu ka (何歳ですか);
- Or in a more formal way, O ikutsu desu ka (おいくつですか).
The answer will be constructed with the number corresponding to the age followed by sai, then desu for politeness.
For example, to reply "I am 25 years old," say: (Watashi wa) nidjugo-sai desu ((私は) 二十五歳です。)
The table below is a useful reminder on how to say age:
| In Japanese | Pronunciation | Translation |
|---|
| 一歳 | issai | 1 year old |
| 二歳 | ni-sai | 2 years old |
| 三歳 | san'-sai | 3 years old |
| 四歳 | yon'-sai | 4 years old |
| 五歳 | go-sai | 5 years old |
| 六歳 | roku-sai | 6 years old |
| 七歳 | nana-sai | 7 years old |
| 八歳 | hassai | 8 years old |
| 九歳 | kyuu-sai | 9 years old |
| 十歳 | djuussai or djissai | 10 years old |
| 十一歳 | djuuissai | 11 years old |
| 十二歳 | djuuni-sai | 12 years old |
| ... | ... | ... |
"20 years old" is the only phonetic irregularity and is pronounced hatatchi (二十歳). The counter sai is omitted despite being used in the written form. If you are 20 years old, you will say: Hatatchi desu (二十歳です。)
To say "and a half," just add han (半) after sai. For example, "I am two and a half years old" is translated as Ni-sai han desu (二才半です).
FAQs
"20 years old" is the only phonetic irregularity and is pronounced hatatchi (二十歳). The counter sai is omitted despite being used in the written form. If you are 20 years old, you will say: Hatatchi desu (二十歳です。)
How old is 32 in Japanese age? ›
<BR>So whatever the collective 10 years is has the 11-19 added on the end respectively (except 20)like this:-<BR>22 = ni juu ni sai<BR>32 = san juu ni sai<BR>42 = yon juu ni sai<BR>52 = go juu ni sai<BR>62 = roku juu ni sai<BR>So after 100 would 101 years be, hyaku issai<BR>132 = hyaku san juu ni sai<BR><BR>Please ...
How do you say I am 18 years old in Japanese hiragana? ›
How do you say 'I am 18 years old' in japanese? Written: 私は18歳です。 Pronunciation: わたしはじゅうはっさいです。
Why is 20 called hatachi? ›
Why use "hatachi" instead of "ni juu sai" when saying someone is 20 years old? HATACHI is the age when you become an adult in Japan. That is the quick and easy answer to say that 20 years old is special so it is HATACHI.
Why is 20 years old in Japanese Hatachi? ›
Originally Answered: Why is it that the Japanese word for 20 years old is はたち (hatachi) instead of にじゅうさい (nijuusai)? From a cultural and legal standpoint, twenty is a significant age in Japan. It's the legal age of majority, and up until recently it was also the age at which young adults became able to vote.
How old is 2004 in korean age? ›
3. How to Say Your Age in Korean (Updated in 2024)
| Birth Year | Age | Korean |
|---|
| 2007 | 18 years old | 열여덟 살 |
| 2006 | 19 years old | 열아홉 살 |
| 2005 | 20 years old | 스무 살 |
| 2004 | 21 years old | 스물한 살 |
87 more rowsSchool levels
| Age | Grade | Educational establishments |
|---|
| 13+ | 2 (8th) | Junior high school/Lower secondary school (中学校 chūgakkō) Compulsory Education |
| 14+ | 3 (9th) |
| 15+ | 1 (10th) | The upper-secondary course of special training school |
| 16+ | 2 (11th) |
17 more rows喜寿 (Kiju, 77 years old)
The kanji 喜 means “happiness,” but can also be written in the simpler, abbreviated form 㐂, which repeats the character 七, meaning “seven.” The association makes this a perfect choice for representing 77.
Is Japan older than China? ›
History begins with written records. It is called prehistory before written language is used. China had written language 2500 BC and Japan has written language 700 AD. China is three thousand years older than Japan.
Why do Japanese age slower? ›
Factors such as improved nutrition, advanced medical and pharmacological technologies, and improved living conditions have all contributed to the longer-than-average life expectancy.
Japan adopted the modern system
Now that we've gone over the different perceptions of age in Asia and how they count their years, next time you're in one of those countries, know that they are actually 1 or 2 years younger than their western age. Don't be tricked by their Asian age system or their young-looking faces!
Is hiragana for girls? ›
Hiragana was originally referred to as “女手” (hiragana: おんなで; romaji: onnade), literally translating to “woman's hand.” The writing system was used by women for poems, love letters, and private correspondences.
Can I learn Japanese at 18? ›
It's totally okay to start learning Japanese at any age! Some start younger, your age or even much older. If you're truly interested, it's never too late to learn anything. Languages included.
What is Moshi Age Arimasen? ›
this is an extremely common expression in everyday Japanese. Taken literally, 申し訳ございません (or ありません) moushiwake gozaimasen (or arimasen) actually means “I/we have no excuse.” moushiwake is the polite form of iiwake which means “excuse.”
What is the number 20 in Japanese? ›
How to count from 11 to 100 in Japanese
| Number | Kanji symbol | English pronunciation |
|---|
| 17 | 十七 | juu-nana/shichi |
| 18 | 十八 | juu-hachi |
| 19 | 十九 | juu-kyuu/ku |
| 20 | 二十 | ni-juu |
6 more rowsAge 20 was significant in Japanese culture. This was the age at which a person could vote, drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes and marry without parental consent. In recent years, new legislation took effect which lowered the age of adulthood to 18.
What year is 1920 in Japanese? ›
Events in the year 1920 in Japan. It corresponds to Taishō 9 (大正9年) in the Japanese calendar.
What does Baka musuko mean? ›
In many cultures, I like to think you wouldn't hear a guy refer to his バカ息子 (baka musuko, stupid sons) or 愚妻 (gusai, dumb wife), but it happens quite often here — particularly among men over 60 who were taught that 身内をほめる (miuchi o homeru, praising one's own family) is socially taboo.
