# How old are you?



## yuechu

大家好！

I have a question about how to ask how old someone is.
Is it better to ask "你几岁" or "你多大"? I think it depends on the person's age, right? (and there is also another expression for asking elderly people their age?)

Sorry if this question has been asked before! I tried to do a search but couldn't find it if there was one.
Thanks!


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## SuperXW

Generally 您几岁/您多大 would be polite enough. You can also add 请问.
Other ways:
请问您的年龄？ -more formal
请问您贵庚？/请问您高寿？ -to politely ask an elderly


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## yuechu

Thanks, SuperXW! I remember someone saying once that either "你几岁" or "你多大" was better to use if you're asking a child and the other is better if you're asking an adult. Do you make a distinction like that at all?


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## Skatinginbc

"你多大" ==> usually asking a child or at least someone younger than you.  
"你几岁" ==> more generic.  I would not be surprised if a worker in a government agency asks me "你几岁".


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## SuperXW

baosheng said:


> Thanks, SuperXW! I remember someone saying once that either "你几岁" or "你多大" was better to use if you're asking a child and the other is better if you're asking an adult. Do you make a distinction like that at all?


I agree with you and others. Notice my suggestions were using 您 instead of 你. By using 您 it would rule out the possibility of kids.


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## piano0011

hey guys!

I thought it was the other way around but I could be wrong that "ni ji3sui4" is used to refer to children or someone younger than you. Also I am assuming that in this sentence, sui4 is a measured word? and that is why you don't have to say ji ge sui?


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## hongover

I agree.

"你几岁"--usually asking a person who is younger than 10. "几" usually implies that the number is a single digit.

"你多少岁"--this is more general, but not many people speak in this way, at least in Mainland China. Sometimes it is not a polite way to ask people's ages.

"你多大了"--this is a general way to ask. It is usually used to ask people who are as old as you or younger, but it is okay to use if the person is not very old.

"你多大年纪"--this is usually used to ask those people who are old. But be careful. It carries the implication that you think the person is old, which may make him/her uncomfortable.


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## piano0011

thanks for confirming that with me. I am also wondering with regard to the pinyin.... my friends told me that the pinyin is duo1shao3 for how many but according to my dictionary, it also has the duo1shao as in the neutral tone for shao. Are both pronunciation correct? thanks!


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## hongover

First, I am not an expert, so do not take my answer too seriously.

I think both are correct. duo1shao3 is standard, but if you speak quickly it automatically becomes duo1shao. And this is the reason why duo1shao is also good. I am not sure which is *the* correct answer if you encounter it in an exam.


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## yuechu

Skatinginbc said:


> "你几岁" ==> more generic. I would not be surprised if a worker in a government agency asks me "你几岁".





hongover said:


> "你几岁"--usually asking a person who is younger than 10. "几" usually implies that the number is a single digit.


Would you say that there are regional differences? (For example, is the question 你几岁 interpreted differently in 南方 and 北方？)
Thanks!


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## philchinamusical

yuechu said:


> Would you say that there are regional differences? (For example, is the question 你几岁 interpreted differently in 南方 and 北方？)
> Thanks!


Yes, there are difference by regions. Like in Shanghai, those are not good with Mandarin would tend to ask "你几岁" instead of "你/您多大/贵庚/高寿". Because we don't have "您" in Shanghai dialect, while "贵庚" and "高寿" are rarely used too. But as the others have input here, in places around Beijing, people tend to say "你/您多大" when asking someone who appears older than a teenager.

Not sure what are the cases in the other regions.


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## NewAmerica

贵庚/高寿这类措辞在今天的中国基本不用的。因为众所周知的原因，传统文化受过滔天浩劫，大多数老人连贵庚是啥意思都不知道。

典型的问法是：*您老*多大年纪了？

这样对方听得懂，也你领略你的敬意。

问中年人与年轻人的方法在此省略。


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## SimonTsai

SuperXW said:


> 请问您贵庚？


This sounds rather formal or stilted, and distant.


yuechu said:


> 你多大


Without any context, it is suggested that you have 了 appended.

I am wondering whether it is because I am a bloke who is concerned about my manhood, or a size queen, that is, one who is actively seeking and has a great liking for a priapus, that in certain context, I may understand 你多大 as 你的多大.


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## retrogradedwithwind

我一直觉得，汉语里缺少一个通用的问询年龄的句子。"你多大"有点俗，不够庄重。贵庚，太雅不常见。高寿，只适合问老年人。芳龄，可以问女性，但似乎有点轻佻。


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## SimonTsai

請問芳齡 sounds old-fashioned and is reminiscent of 請問芳名.


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## Skatinginbc

SimonTsai said:


> I may understand 你多大 as 你的多大.


你的(年紀)多大.
A: 你多大?
B: 比你大.


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## SimonTsai

你的多大 would definitely remind me of something else.


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## Skatinginbc

My bad.  I was making a joke and turned out to be misleading.  Please throw my last post to the trash bin.


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