5 Ways To Ask How Old Are You In Spanish & How To Respond With Popular Phrases
Learning to ask someone’s age in Spanish is a fun way of language acquisition.
It’s actually a common question that comes up in everyday conversations. So, how do you ask how old are you in Spanish?
Whether you’re chatting with new friends, meeting relatives, or trying to get to know your colleagues better, this question is really important.
The skill of asking how old are you in Spanish opens doors to some new Spanish connections and meaningful interactions. If you’re eager to learn about this method, here’s an excellent visual guide by Easy Spanish:
I. 5 ways to ask how old are you in Spanish
In this section, we’ll share 5 different ways you can say how old are you in Spanish.
1. ¿Cuántos años tienes? (How old are you?)
Effortless Answers
¿Cuántos años tienes? is the most common and neutral way to ask someone’s age in Spanish. It’s good for both formal and informal situations, making it a good choice for different contexts.
The phrase literally translates to “How many years do you have?” which might sound odd in English, but it’s the standard way to ask about age in Spanish:
Maria: ¿Cuántos años tienes? (How old are you?)
Carlos: Tengo 25 años. (I’m 25 years old.)
2. ¿Qué edad tienes? (What age are you?)
Another neutral option that’s used and understood across Spanish-speaking countries.
This phrase is a bit more direct translation of the English “What age are you?” and is equally acceptable in most situations.
It’s a good alternative if you’re more comfortable with a word-for-word translation from English:
Ana: ¿Qué edad tienes? (What age are you?)
Pedro: Tengo 30 años. (I’m 30 years old.)
3. ¿Cuántos años tienes tú? (How old are you?)
This version highlights the “you” and is slightly more informal.
It’s great for casual conversations with friends or peers.
By adding “tú” at the end, you’re putting a bit more focus on the person you’re asking, which can make the question feel more personal, rather than just asking generally.
This phrasing is particularly useful in group settings when you want to single out one person to ask their age:
Luisa: ¿Cuántos años tienes tú? (How old are you?)
Diego: Yo tengo 22 años. (I’m 22 years old.)
4. ¿Qué edad tienes tú? (What age are you?)
Similar to the previous option, this phrase is more informal and emphasizes the “you.”
It combines the directness of “¿Qué edad tienes?” with the personal touch of adding “tú.”
This phrasing is perfect for casual settings or when you want to show a bit more interest in the specific person you’re talking to:
Sofia: ¿Qué edad tienes tú? (What age are you?)
Javier: Tengo 28 años. (I’m 28 years old.)
5. ¿Cuántos años cumple? (How old are you turning?)
This phrase is used when asking about someone’s upcoming birthday or when referring to a third person.
The verb “cumplir” in this context means “to turn” or “to become” a certain age:
Elena: ¿Cuántos años cumple tu hermano? (How old is your brother turning?)
Roberto: Cumple 18 años en mayo. (He’s turning 18 in May.)
II. 4 ways to ask how old were you in Spanish
And what if you want to ask about a certain memory of someone and have to ask: how old were you in Spanish?
Time to unveil!
1. ¿Cuántos años tenías? (How old were you?)
Use this phrase when asking about someone’s age in the past. It’s neutral and widely understood.
This form is useful when discussing past events or experiences and trying to establish the age of the person at that time:
Carmen: ¿Cuántos años tenías cuando te graduaste? (How old were you when you graduated?)
Miguel: Tenía 22 años. (I was 22 years old.)
2. ¿Qué edad tenías? (What age were you?)
Another neutral option for asking about age in the past.
This phrase is interchangeable with “¿Cuántos años tenías?” and can be used in the same contexts.
Some Spanish speakers might prefer this phrasing as it directly translates the English “What age were you?”
It’s equally formal and can be used in most situations:
Laura: ¿Qué edad tenías cuando aprendiste a manejar? (What age were you when you learned to drive?)
Antonio: Tenía 18 años. (I was 18 years old.)
3. ¿Cuántos años tenías tú? (How old were you?)
This informal version emphasizes the “you” and is great for casual conversations about past events.
With “tú“, you make the question more personal and direct. This phrasing is perfect for friendly conversations:
Isabel: ¿Cuántos años tenías tú cuando viajaste a Europa? (How old were you when you traveled to Europe?)
Fernando: Yo tenía 25 años. (I was 25 years old.)
4. ¿Qué edad tenías tú? (What age were you?)
Like its counterpart in the present tense, this phrasing combines the directness of “¿Qué edad tenías?” with the personal touch of “tú.”
It’s ideal for casual settings or when you want to show extra interest in the person’s past experiences:
Raquel: ¿Qué edad tenías tú cuando te casaste? (What age were you when you got married?)
Alejandro: Tenía 30 años. (I was 30 years old.)
III. How to respond when someone asks how old are you in Spanish
Okay, you now know how to ask how old are you in Spanish. But how do you respond to this question?
There are – again – different ways to answer this question.
1. Tengo … años. (I’m … years old.)
This is the most common and straightforward way to respond to age questions in Spanish.
The sentences construction “Tengo … años” literally means “I have … years,” which is how age is expressed in Spanish:
Pablo: ¿Cuántos años tienes? (How old are you?)
Lucia: Tengo 27 años. (I’m 27 years old.)
2. Yo tengo … años. (I’m … years old.)
Adding “yo” (I) emphasizes that you’re talking about yourself.
It can be used to stress your age or to contrast your age with someone else’s.
This response is useful in conversations where multiple people are discussing their ages or when you want to draw attention to your age for any reason:
Marta: ¿Qué edad tienes tú? (What age are you?)
David: Yo tengo 33 años. (I’m 33 years old.)
3. Cumplo … años en … (I’m turning … in …)
Use this response to specify when your birthday is.
It can also be used to start a conversation about birthday plans or celebrations:
Valentina: ¿Cuántos años tienes? (How old are you?)
Gabriel: Cumplo 29 años en agosto. (I’m turning 29 in August.)
Practice asking how old are you in Spanish with flashcards
There comes a time when you have to put all of this into test in real situations. And until then, you can still practice with us!
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Learn how to say how old are you in Spanish with Conversation Based Chunking
We, on Effortless Conversations think that the best way to learn these common Spanish phrases is to use Conversation Based Chunking.
This approach is all about Spanish immersion: you surround yourself with Spanish – you listen to Spanish radio stations, Spanish podcasts, watch the best Spanish YouTube channels and so on. You observe how native speakers use the chunks in their natural habitat, and later, you try to mimic them by using them in your own sentences.
Claro, this is a simplified explanation – if you’re interested, you can learn more about it by signing up now to get a Spanish Chunking Starter Pack!