Translation guide
The English word "age" can refer to the number of years someone has lived, a period of life, the state of being old, or a historical period. Japanese uses different words and expressions depending on the context.
Asking or stating how old someone or something is.
Formal term for age, used in official contexts, documents, and polite conversation.
年齢を教えてください。
Please tell me your age.
Counter for age, attached to numbers. Use 歳 (さい) for most ages, but note sound changes like いっさい for 1, はっさい for 8, じゅっさい/じっさい for 10.
私は25歳です。
I am 25 years old.
Casual way to ask age, literally 'how many'. Common in everyday conversation.
お子さんはいくつですか？
How old is your child?
Polite version of いくつ, used when asking someone's age respectfully.
失礼ですが、おいくつですか？
Excuse me, but how old are you?
Can mean 'age' in certain expressions, like 年の割に (for one's age).
年の割に若く見える。
You look young for your age.
Referring to a stage in life, such as childhood, middle age, or old age.
Used in compounds like 年齢層 (age group) or 年齢期 (age period).
このゲームはすべての年齢層に適しています。
This game is suitable for all age groups.
Refers to a decade of life or a generation, like 20代 (twenties) or 30代 (thirties).
Generation, often used to talk about age cohorts like 若い世代 (younger generation).
Describing the state of being old, or the process of aging.
Refers to old age or the process of aging, often used in literary or reflective contexts.
老いを感じる。
I feel my age.
Aging, especially in a biological or medical sense.
Elderly person; can be blunt, so use with care. More polite is お年寄り.
Advanced age, used in formal contexts like 高齢者 (elderly person).
Referring to a distinct period in history, like the Stone Age or the Edo period.
Era, period, age. Used for historical periods like 江戸時代 (Edo period) or 石器時代 (Stone Age).
これは江戸時代の建物です。
This is a building from the Edo period.
Can also mean 'age' as in a generation, like the space age.
The age at which one is legally considered an adult.
Adult; coming of age. 成人年齢 is the legal age of adulthood (18 in Japan since 2022).
日本では18歳で成人になります。
In Japan, you become an adult at 18.
Legal adulthood, often used in legal contexts like 成年年齢.
When asking someone's age, using 年齢 (ねんれい) can sound too formal or clinical. In casual settings, use いくつ or 何歳 (なんさい). For polite situations, おいくつ is safer.
The counter 歳 (さい) changes pronunciation for certain numbers: 1歳 = いっさい, 8歳 = はっさい, 10歳 = じゅっさい/じっさい, 20歳 = はたち (irregular).
彼女は年齢より若く見える。
She doesn't look her age.
彼は40代です。
He is in his forties.
The younger generation thinks differently.
Is there a way to prevent aging?
年寄りに席を譲る。
Give up your seat for the elderly.
高齢化社会の問題。
Problems of an aging society.
The arrival of the space age.
成年に達する。
Reach the age of majority.