HSK 1
多大
duōdà
how old
Structure
Subject + 多大 + (了) ?
How it works
The phrase '多大' is used to ask for someone's age in Chinese. It is generally used for peers, children, or people younger than the speaker, while '几岁' is specifically for young children under ten.
Examples
你儿子今年多大？
Nǐ érzi jīnnián duōdà?
How old is your son this year?
李老师多大了？
Lǐ lǎoshī duōdà le?
How old is Teacher Li?
你多大？
Nǐ duōdà?
How old are you?
Common mistakes
Using '多大' to ask the age of a very elderly person or someone of high status; in those cases, '多大年纪' or '高寿' is more polite.
Tip
Adding '了' at the end of the question often makes it sound more natural, as age is a state that changes over time.
More HSK 1 grammar
See 多大 in real Chinese
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