岁

• Pinyin: suì
• Hanzi breakdown: 岁 = 山 (mountain) + 夕 (evening) — simplified from 歲

Meaning

Years old; age. A measure word used to express a person's age.

Always follows a number to state someone's age. For example, 三岁 means 'three years old.' Asking age varies by politeness: 几岁 is for young children, 多大 for peers, and 多大年纪 for elderly people.

Examples

1. 我今年二十岁。 I am twenty years old this year.
2. 你几岁了？ How old are you?
3. 她的孩子三岁了。 Her child is three years old.

Usage Guide

Context: age, personal information

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 她今年十八岁。(She is eighteen years old this year.)
• 你家孩子几岁了？(How old is your child?)

Don't Say

• 我是二十岁。(Unnatural — say 我二十岁 or 我今年二十岁; do not use 是 with age)

Origin & History

The simplified character 岁 derives from the traditional 歲, which originally meant 'year' or 'harvest cycle.' Over time it became the standard word for expressing age.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal