HSK 1
AGE 了
AGE le
became AGE
Structure
Subject + Number + 岁 + 了
How it works
In Chinese, '了' (le) is added after an age to indicate a change of state or that a person has now reached that specific age. It is the natural way to state someone's current age in conversation, implying they have 'become' that age as of their last birthday.
Examples
我二十岁了。
Wǒ èrshí suì le.
I am 20 years old now.
我女儿三岁了。
Wǒ nǚ'ér sān suì le.
My daughter is three years old.
你十八岁了吗？
Nǐ shíbā suì le ma?
Are you 18 years old yet?
Common mistakes
Using the verb '是' (shì) before the age. In Chinese, we say 'I 20 years old,' not 'I AM 20 years old.'
Tip
When asking for the age of a child, use '几岁了?' (jǐ suì le?). For adults, use '多大了?' (duō dà le?).
More HSK 1 grammar
See AGE 了 in real Chinese
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