Age and birth year

❃ Age and birth year

나이가 어떻게 되세요? [ Naiga eotteoke doeseyo? ]: How old are you? (polite)
몇 살이에요? [ Myeot sarieyo? ]: How old are you? (standard)
저는 스무 살이에요. [ Jeoneun seumu sarieyo. ]: I am 20 years old.
저는 서른 살이에요. [ Jeoneun seoreun sarieyo. ]: I am 30 years old.
몇 년생이세요? [ Myeon nyeonsaengiseyo? ]: What year were you born?
저는 90년생이에요. [ Jeoneun gusimnyeonsaengieyo. ]: I was born in '90.
우리는 동갑이네요. [ Urineun donggabineyo. ]: We are the same age.
저보다 형이네요. [ Jeoboda hyeongineyo. ]: You are older than me (male to older male).
저보다 누나네요. [ Jeoboda nunaneyo. ]: You are older than me (male to older female).
제가 동생이에요. [ Jega dongsaengieyo. ]: I am younger.
생일이 언제예요? [ Saengiri eonjeyeyo? ]: When is your birthday?
제 생일은 오늘이에요. [ Je saengireun oneurieyo. ]: My birthday is today.
동안이시네요. [ Donganisineyo. ]: You look young for your age.
나이보다 성숙해 보여요. [ Naiboda seongsukhae boyeoyo. ]: You look mature for your age.
편하게 말씀하세요. [ Pyeonhage malsseumhaseyo. ]: Please speak comfortably (informally).

Cultural notes

In many Western societies, asking someone about their age shortly after meeting them is often considered a social faux pas, or at the very least, slightly impolite or intrusive. In South Korea, however, determining someone's age is an absolute social necessity and serves as the fundamental compass for all human interaction. The Korean language and its strict social hierarchy are entirely dictated by age (나이 - Nai). To know whether they should treat you as a respected senior, a junior, or a friend of the exact same age (동갑 - Donggap), Koreans must know how old you are. Therefore, the question 몇 년생이세요? (Myeon nyeonsaengiseyo? - "What year were you born?") is incredibly common and usually asked within the first few minutes of a conversation. Historically, the country used the "Korean Age" system, where a baby is considered one year old at birth and ages a year every January 1st, regardless of their actual birthday. Although the government officially switched to the international age system for administrative and legal purposes recently, deep-rooted cultural habits die hard, and the birth year remains the ultimate social equalizer. If someone is even one year older than you, you are strictly expected to use polite, formal language (존댓말 - Jondaetmal) and treat them with clear deference. You will also use specific familial titles based on gender and age differences, such as 오빠 (Oppa) or 형 (Hyung) for older brothers/friends, and 언니 (Unni) or 누나 (Nuna) for older sisters/friends. Understanding this dynamic is crucial for any visitor or expatriate. You should never be offended or taken aback if a local asks your age right away; they are not being nosy, they are simply trying to figure out the correct and most respectful way to address you!

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