Correct
年纪 vs 年龄 vs 岁
/ niánjì vs niánlíng vs suì /
Strokes
Definition
年纪, 年龄, and 岁, these three words all relate to age, but they are used in different contexts with different nuances. Here’s how to use them correctly:
1. 年纪 (niánjì) – "Age" (Mostly for People, Informal/Spoken)
Usage:
- Mostly used for people (not animals or objects).
- Common in spoken Chinese, especially for older people.
- Often used with 大 (big/old) or 小 (small/young).
Examples:
- 您多大年纪了？ (Nín duō dà niánjì le?)
→ "How old are you?" (Polite, usually for elders) - 他年纪大了，走路很慢。 (Tā niánjì dà le, zǒulù hěn màn.)
→ "He’s old, so he walks slowly." - 你年纪还小，不懂这些。 (Nǐ niánjì hái xiǎo, bù dǒng zhèxiē.)
→ "You’re still young, so you don’t understand these things."
Key Points:
✔ Mostly for people (not animals/objects).
✔ Often used for older people (年纪大).
✔ More informal/spoken than 年龄.
2. 年龄 (niánlíng) – "Age" (Formal, General Use for People/Animals/Objects)
Usage:
- Formal and general term for age (people, animals, objects, planets, etc.).
- Used in written Chinese, official documents, and scientific contexts.
- Can be used for any age (not just old people).
Examples:
- 他的实际年龄是45岁。 (Tā de shíjì niánlíng shì 45 suì.)
→ "His actual age is 45." - 这只狗的年龄是多少？ (Zhè zhī gǒu de niánlíng shì duōshǎo?)
→ "What is this dog’s age?" - 结婚的最低年龄是22岁。 (Jiéhūn de zuìdī niánlíng shì 22 suì.)
→ "The minimum age for marriage is 22."
Key Points:
✔ Formal (used in documents, news, science).
✔ Works for people, animals, objects, planets, etc.
✔ Neutral (not limited to old/young).
3. 岁 (suì) – "Years Old" (Used After Numbers)
Usage:
- Only used after numbers to say "years old."
- Cannot stand alone (must have a number before it).
- Common in both spoken and written Chinese.
Examples:
- 我今年25岁。 (Wǒ jīnnián 25 suì.)
→ "I am 25 years old this year." - 你妹妹几岁了？ (Nǐ mèimei jǐ suì le?)
→ "How old is your younger sister?" - 这只猫两岁。 (Zhè zhī māo liǎng suì.)
→ "This cat is two years old."
Key Points:
✔ Must follow a number (不能单独使用).
✔ Used in all contexts (spoken/written).
✔ Most common way to say "years old."
4. Comparison Table
| Word | Meaning | Usage | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 年纪 (niánjì) | "Age" (mostly people) | Informal, spoken, often for elders | 您多大年纪？ |
| 年龄 (niánlíng) | "Age" (general) | Formal, written, for people/animals/objects | 他的年龄是30岁。 |
| 岁 (suì) | "Years old" | Must follow a number | 我今年20岁。 |
Final Summary
- 年纪 (niánjì) → Informal, mostly for people (especially elders).
- 年龄 (niánlíng) → Formal, for people/animals/objects.
- 岁 (suì) → "Years old" (must follow a number).
Example
年纪 and 年龄 are both Nouns. 年纪 is only applied to human beings (or personified things). 年龄 can be applied to human beings, animals, plants and celestial bodies.
The usage of 地球的年纪 is personification.
1
Zhège
这个
rén
人
de
的
niánjì
年纪
(
niánlíng
年龄
)
dàyuē
大约
zài
在
sānshí
三十
(
suì
岁
)
zuǒyòu
左右
。
The man is about 30 years old.
2
Shù
树
de
的
niánlíng
年龄
kěyǐ
可以
cóng
从
niánlún
年轮
zhōng
中
kànchū
看出
。
The tree age can be told from its growth rings.
3
Dìqiú
地球
de
的
niánlíng
年龄
yǐ
已
dá
达
sìshíyì
四十亿
nián
年
。
The earth has existed for 40 billion years.
To ask somebody's age face to face, 多大年纪 is more polite; 几岁，十几岁 can be used for children; 年龄有多大 is a general usage.
With 年纪, one can say 年纪轻, 年纪不小, 年纪不大. If 年龄 is used, one can only say 年龄不小了, 年龄不大, etc.
4
Lǎoxiānsheng
老先生
,
nín
您
duō
多
dà
大
niánjì
年纪
le
了
?
How old are you, sir?
5
Xiǎopéngyǒu
小朋友
nǐ
你
jī
几
suì
岁
le
了
?
How old are you, boy?
6
Qǐngwèn
请问
,
nín
您
de
的
niánlíng
年龄
?
Excuse me, your age?
岁 is a measure word, but rather unusual. It can take no nouns after it and may be considered as a measure word for nouns. It can be applied to human beings, animals and plants.
7
Zhè
这
háizi
孩子
gāng
刚
wǔ
五
suì
岁
。
The child is exactly five years old.
8
Nā
那
kē
棵
lǎoshù
老树
jùshuō
据说
yǐjīng
已经
yǒu
有
liǎngbǎi
两百
duō
多
suì
岁
le
了
。
It is said that the old tree is over 200 years.
9
Zhè
这
zhī
只
māo
猫
sān
三
suì
岁
bàn
半
le
了
。
The cat is three and a half years old.
Mistake
❌ Wrong:
这只猫的年纪是3岁。 (Use 年龄 for animals.)
✅ Correct:
这只猫的年龄是3岁。 (Zhè zhī māo de niánlíng shì 3 suì.)→ "This cat’s age is 3 years old."
❌ Wrong:
我年龄25岁。 (Too formal; use 我25岁 in spoken Chinese.)
✅ Better:
我25岁。 (Wǒ 25 suì.)→ "I’m 25 years old."
Exercise
Choose the correct word:
他的实际____是50岁。 (年龄)
爷爷____大了，需要照顾。 (年纪)
你妹妹几____了？ (岁)
Translate:
"How old is your dog?" → 你的狗多少____？ (年龄)
"She is 18 years old." → 她18____。 (岁)