Age With imati

Saying Someone's Age

Level 1

A common Croatian age expression uses imati plus a number of years. Imam dvadeset godina means I am twenty years old.

How It Works

Ask Koliko imaš godina? for informal singular address or Koliko imate godina? for polite or plural address. Answer with the appropriate form of imati and the age.

Learn the noun changes with the number: jednu godinu, dvije godine, pet godina. In a compound age such as twenty-one, the final numeral component controls the usual counting construction: dvadeset i jednu godinu.

The first numeral pattern appears in the accusative because it is the complement of imati. Do not copy English am directly into every age sentence. Croatian also has other ways to describe age, but imati is the useful everyday frame taught here.

Examples (4)

  1. Imam dvadeset godina.

    I am twenty years old.

    Imam literally uses have in the age construction.

  2. Moja kći ima dvije godine.

    My daughter is two years old.

    Dvije selects godine.

  3. Dijete ima jednu godinu.

    The child is one year old.

    Jednu godinu is accusative singular.

  4. Koliko imate godina?

    How old are you?

    Imate is polite or plural address.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Age With imatiLevel 1Saying Someone's Age

Learn This First

Age uses the established personal imati frame with a memorized years expression.

Words in This Pattern

imati