Quick Answer: How Do You Say "Age" in Korean?

When discussing age in the Korean language, two fundamental terms appear in nearly every conversation:

General Noun
나이
[ na - i ]
"Age"

The dictionary noun used when asking about someone's age or referring to age as an abstract concept.

Numerical Counter
살
[ sal ]
"Years Old"

The bound counting word attached directly after a native Korean number to state how many years old someone is.

Everyday Phrase
몇 살이에요?
[ myeot sal-ieyo? ]
"How old are you?"

The standard polite question used in daily life when speaking with peers, classmates, and acquaintances.

In short: 나이 (nai) is the noun for "age," while 살 (sal) is the counting unit for "years old." To state your age, you combine a native Korean number with 살, followed by the polite sentence ending 이에요 (ieyo) or 예요 (yeyo).

What Is "Age" in Korean? Understanding 나이 (nai) and 연세 (yeonse)

The Korean language has two distinct nouns for "age" depending entirely on social hierarchy and respect:

Standard / Neutral
나이
[ na - i ]
Age (Standard)

Used for yourself, children, friends, peers, and younger people. It is neutral and has no special honorific connotation.

Honorific Noun
연세
[ yeon - se ]
Age (Honorific)

Used exclusively when asking or speaking about the age of grandparents, elderly relatives, teachers, or senior citizens. Never use this for yourself.

Everyday Sentence Examples with 나이

  • 나이가 어떻게 되세요? [na-iga eotteoke doeseyo?] — "What is your age?" (A polite, respectful way to ask an adult peer's age).
  • 나이가 몇 살이에요? [na-iga myeot sal-ieyo?] — "What is your age in years?" (A friendly, polite inquiry commonly heard in informal introductions).
  • 동갑이에요. [dong-gap-ieyo] — "We are the same age." (Koreans celebrate finding someone born in the same year because it immediately creates comfortable social parity).

The Most Important Word: 살 (sal) as the Age Counter

In Korean grammar, objects and measurements require specific counting words (classifiers). When expressing age, the universal counter is 살 (sal).

Unlike English where you can simply say "I am twenty," Korean requires the counter word attached to the number:

Baby / Toddler
1살
[ han sal ]
한 살

1 year old (Notice 하나 contracts to 한)

Childhood
10살
[ yeol sal ]
열 살

10 years old

Adulthood Milestone
20살
[ seumu sal ]
스무 살

20 years old (Notice 스물 contracts to 스무)

Decade Milestone
30살
[ seoreun sal ]
서른 살

30 years old

Golden Grammar Rule: 살 must always be paired with Native Korean numbers (한, 두, 세, 네, 다섯...) in spoken conversation. Pairing 살 with Sino-Korean numbers (일, 이, 삼, 사...) is grammatically incorrect.

How to Ask "How Old Are You?" in Korean: Three Politeness Levels

Because Korean speech levels reflect social relationships, age, and context, you should adjust how you ask someone's age based on who you are speaking with:

Polite Everyday
몇 살이에요?
[ myeot sal-ieyo? ]
Standard polite form. Use this with peers around your age, fellow university students, new acquaintances in casual settings, and younger adults.
Casual / Banmal
몇 살이야?
[ myeot sar-iya? ]
Informal casual form. Use only with close childhood friends, younger siblings, or young children. Never use this with strangers or people older than you.
Respectful Adult
나이가 어떻게 되세요?
[ na-iga eotteoke doeseyo? ]
Gentle respectful form. Literally means "How does your age become?" A polished way to inquire about age in workplace or professional contexts without sounding blunt.
High Honorific
연세가 어떻게 되세요?
[ yeonsega eotteoke doeseyo? ]
Highest honorific form. Required when speaking with elders, grandparents, senior professors, or elderly community members. Shows deep cultural respect.
Two adults exchanging polite age dialogue in a modern Seoul café: 몇 살이에요? and 저는 스무 살이에요.
Figure 2: Conversational Dialogue — Asking and stating age politely in everyday conversational Korean (해요체). Seoul Café Scenario

How Do You Say Your Age in Korean? (Formula & Worked Examples)

Stating your age in Korean follows a clean, predictable sentence template:

Sentence Construction Template
저는 [Native Number] 살이에요.
[ jeoneun + [number] + sal-ieyo ] — "I am [number] years old."

Sentence Breakdown:

  1. 저는 (jeoneun): "I" (humble/polite pronoun 저) + topic particle (는). In casual speech with friends, you can drop this or say 나는 (naneun).
  2. [Native Number]: The counting number in its modified attributive form (e.g., 스무 for 20, 서른 for 30).
  3. 살 (sal): The age counter noun meaning "years old."
  4. 이에요 (ieyo): The polite copula ("to be"). Because 살 ends in a consonant (ㄹ), it takes 이에요.

Common Milestone Examples:

  • 18 years old: 저는 열여덟 살이에요. [jeoneun yeol-yeodeolb sal-ieyo]
  • 20 years old: 저는 스무 살이에요. [jeoneun seumu sal-ieyo]
  • 24 years old: 저는 스물네 살이에요. [jeoneun seumul-ne sal-ieyo]
  • 27 years old: 저는 스물일곱 살이에요. [jeoneun seumul-ilgop sal-ieyo]
  • 32 years old: 저는 서른두 살이에요. [jeoneun seoreun-du sal-ieyo]

Native Korean Numbers for Age: The Complete 1 to 50 Reference

To state your age accurately, you must know native Korean numbers. When these numbers precede the counter word 살, four single-digit numbers and the decade 20 undergo a slight contraction:

Key Attributive Number Contractions:
  • 하나 (1) → 한 (e.g., 한 살 - 1 year old)
  • 둘 (2) → 두 (e.g., 두 살 - 2 years old)
  • 셋 (3) → 세 (e.g., 세 살 - 3 years old)
  • 넷 (4) → 네 (e.g., 네 살 - 4 years old)
  • 스물 (20) → 스무 (e.g., 스무 살 - 20 years old)
Age (Years) Spoken Korean Form Revised Romanization Phonetic Notes & Contraction
1 한 살 하나 → 한 han sal Starts at 1 under traditional counting
2 두 살 둘 → 두 du sal Used for toddlers
3 세 살 셋 → 세 se sal Final ㅅ drops before 살
4 네 살 넷 → 네 ne sal Final ㅅ drops before 살
5 다섯 살 daseot sal Regular uncontracted form
6 여섯 살 yeoseot sal Elementary school entry age in Korea
7 일곱 살 ilgop sal First grade school age
8 여덟 살 yeodeol sal Pronounced [여덜 살]
9 아홉 살 ahop sal Auspicious milestone year (아홉수)
10 열 살 yeol sal Decade base: 10
15 열다섯 살 yeoldaseot sal Compound: 열 (10) + 다섯 (5)
18 열여덟 살 yeol-yeodeol sal High school graduation threshold
19 열아홉 살 yeol-ahop sal Korean legal youth protection milestone
20 스무 살 스물 → 스무 seumu sal Coming of age milestone (성년의 날)
21 스물한 살 하나 → 한 seumul-han sal Notice 스물 retains ㄹ when followed by another digit
25 스물다섯 살 seumul-daseot sal Mid-twenties milestone
30 서른 살 seoreun sal Decade base: 30
35 서른다섯 살 seoreun-daseot sal Mid-thirties milestone
40 마흔 살 maheun sal Decade base: 40
50 쉰 살 swin sal Decade base: 50
60 환갑 / 예순 살 hwangap / yesun sal Traditional 60th birthday jubilee (Hwangap)
Native Korean Age Number Ladder flashcard progression from 1 (한 살) to 30 (서른 살).
Figure 3: Korean Number Ladder — Attributive contractions and decade milestone markers. Visual Flashcard Progression

Why Do Koreans Ask About Age? (The Cultural Importance of Age in Korea)

In many Western cultures, asking an adult's age shortly after meeting can feel intrusive or socially impolite. In South Korea, however, asking someone's age is often one of the first questions asked during introductions.

Understanding why this happens changes how you perceive the interaction:

  1. Determining Speech Levels (존댓말 vs 반말): The Korean language features seven verb speech levels. To speak respectfully without offending someone, Koreans need to know whether the other person is older, younger, or the exact same age.
  2. Establishing Kinship Titles: In casual friendships, Koreans rarely address older friends by their first name alone. Instead, they use hierarchical kinship titles:
    • 형 (Hyeong): Used by males to address an older male.
    • 누나 (Noona): Used by males to address an older female.
    • 오빠 (Oppa): Used by females to address an older male.
    • 언니 (Unnie): Used by females to address an older female.
  3. Finding "Friends" (동갑 - Donggap): In strict traditional Korean culture, true "friends" (친구 - chingu) are specifically people born in the exact same calendar year. When two people discover they share the same birth year, they often say "우리 친구 하자!" ("Let's be friends!"), instantly dropping formal barriers.

Does "Age in Korean" Mean Korean Age? (Topical Clarification)

Search engines frequently bundle language queries with calendar arithmetic, but learners should recognize the fundamental distinction:

Linguistic Intent

"Age in Korean"

Refers to the Korean words, pronunciations, and grammar patterns used to talk about age (나이, 살, 몇 살이에요?).

You are learning this on this page.
Algorithmic Intent

"Korean Age System"

Refers to the mathematical reckoning method where individuals are 1 year old at birth and gain +1 year on January 1st.

Learn the counting system →

When speaking Korean, you can state either your international legal full age (만 나이) or your traditional cultural age (세는 나이). The grammar structure 저는 ___살이에요 remains exactly identical regardless of which number you choose to state.

Common Mistakes When Expressing Age in Korean

Foreign learners and students frequently stumble on five specific linguistic traps:

Mistake 1: Confusing 나이 with 살

Do not say "저는 20 나이예요." The word 나이 is an abstract noun. When stating how many years old you are, you must attach the counter 살 to the number (e.g., 저는 스무 살이에요).

Mistake 2: Using Sino-Korean Numbers with 살

Saying "이십 살" (using Sino-Korean 이십 for 20) is unnatural in spoken Korean. Spoken age strictly requires Native Korean numbers (스무 살). Sino-Korean numbers are only used with the formal written counter 세 (歲) in legal documentation.

Mistake 3: Forgetting the Attributive Contraction on 20

The base native word for 20 is 스물 (seumul). When followed directly by the counter 살, the final consonant ㄹ drops: it becomes 스무 살 (seumu sal), not 스물 살.

Mistake 4: Using Casual Banmal with Older People or Strangers

Asking "몇 살이야?" sounds abrupt and rude if spoken to someone older than you or someone you just met. Always default to the polite 몇 살이에요? or respectful 나이가 어떻게 되세요?.

Mistake 5: Assuming Language Tells You the Counting System

Hearing someone say "저는 스물일곱 살이에요" tells you their stated number is 27, but it does not automatically specify whether they are using international age (만 나이) or traditional Korean age (세는 나이). In casual social settings, Koreans often follow up with "만 나이예요?" ("Is that full age?") for clarification.

Interactive Language Lab

Can You Say These Ages in Korean?

Test your knowledge of native Korean numbers and the counter 살. Click "Show Korean Answer" to check your pronunciation and spelling.

7 Years Old
일곱 살
ilgop sal
12 Years Old
열두 살
yeol-du sal (둘 → 두)
20 Years Old
스무 살
seumu sal (스물 → 스무)
25 Years Old
스물다섯 살
seumul-daseot sal
30 Years Old
서른 살
seoreun sal
45 Years Old
마흔다섯 살
maheun-daseot sal

Student Study Notebook: Korean Age Grammar at a Glance

To help you consolidate the grammar formulas, number contractions, and dialogue patterns, here is a snapshot from our language study notebook:

Handwritten Korean language study notebook illustrating AGE = 나이, years old = 살, and dialogue formulas.
Figure 4: Language Study Note — Core vocabulary rules, number contraction arrows, and politeness tips. Classroom Reference

Frequently Asked Questions About Age in Korean

Concise, authoritative answers to the most common queries regarding Korean age vocabulary, pronunciation, and usage:

The general Korean word for "age" is 나이 (nai). When stating an age in years, Korean attaches the counter 살 (sal) to a native Korean number, such as 스무 살 (seumu sal) for 20 years old. For respected elders, the honorific noun 연세 (yeonse) is used instead of 나이.
The standard polite way to ask is 몇 살이에요? (myeot sal-ieyo?). In casual speech with close younger friends or children, say 몇 살이야? (myeot sar-iya?). In formal or respectful situations with older adults, ask 연세가 어떻게 되세요? (yeonsega eotteoke doeseyo?).
In polite everyday Korean, you say 저는 스무 살이에요 (jeoneun seumu sal-ieyo). Notice that the native number for 20 (스물) drops its final consonant before the counter 살 to become 스무.
살 (sal) is the native Korean counter word meaning "years old." It cannot stand alone as an isolated noun; it always follows a native Korean number (e.g., 한 살 = 1 year old, 열 살 = 10 years old, 서른 살 = 30 years old).
나이 (nai) is the general noun for "age." You encounter it in questions like 나이가 몇 살이에요? ("What is your age in years?") or statements like 나이가 많아요 ("They are older").
Everyday spoken Korean exclusively pairs Native Korean numbers (하나, 둘, 셋...) with the counter 살 (sal). Sino-Korean numbers (일, 이, 삼...) are only used with the formal counter 세 (歲) in written legal contracts, judicial rulings, or news reports.
No. "Age in Korean" refers to vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation in the Korean language. The "traditional Korean age system" refers to calendar arithmetic where someone is 1 at birth and gains a year every New Year's Day. Korean language phrases can be used to state either number.
Yes, socially and culturally. On June 28, 2023, South Korea standardized full international age (만 나이) for official government documents, healthcare dosing, and contracts. However, traditional age remains in active conversational use to determine honorifics and speech levels.
Navjeet Kamboj
Navjeet Kamboj
Researcher & Developer • Universal Chronology & Cultural Calendars

Navjeet Kamboj researches chronological calculation systems, international calendar reckoning standards, and cultural age conventions. All language and grammatical patterns in this guide have been verified against standard National Institute of Korean Language (국립국어원) conventions.