Telling Your Age

Level 2

Ma olen kakskümmend aastat vana means I am twenty years old. Ta on viieaastane means she is five years old.

How It Works

Asking: Kui vana sa oled? (How old are you?) Polite plural: Kui vana te olete?

Pattern 1: aastat vana. Use olema + number + aastat (partitive singular) + vana: Ma olen kakskümmend kaks aastat vana. In relaxed speech people often just say the number: Ma olen kakskümmend kaks.

Pattern 2: -aastane. Join the genitive of the number to aastane: kaks → kaheaastane, viis → viieaastane, kakskümmend → kahekümneaastane. It is an adjective, so it can go before a noun and it declines: viieaastane laps (a five-year-old child), viieaastasele lapsele (to a five-year-old child). For babies, use -kuune for months: kolmekuune (three months old).

Spelling. -aastane is always one word. With digits, write it together or with a hyphen: 25aastane or 25-aastane, never "25 aastane". Where three identical letters would meet, a hyphen may be used: saja-aastane.

Turning an age. Use saama: Ta sai eile kümme. (She turned ten yesterday.)

Comparing ages: Ta on minust kaks aastat vanem. (He is two years older than me.)

Examples (6)

  1. Kui vana sa oled?

    How old are you?

    Word by Word: how old you are

  2. Ma olen kakskümmend kaks aastat vana.

    I am twenty-two years old.

  3. Mu vend on viieaastane.

    My brother is five years old.

    Viis → viie (genitive) + aastane, written as one word.

  4. Neil on kolmeaastane tütar.

    They have a three-year-old daughter.

  5. Ta on minust kaks aastat vanem.

    He is two years older than me.

  6. Vanaema sai eile kaheksakümmend.

    Grandma turned eighty yesterday.

    Saama + a number means to turn that age.

Common Mistakes

  • Saying age with "have", as in Spanish or French.

    Mul on kakskümmend aastat.
    Ma olen kakskümmend aastat vana.

    Age is said with olema: ma olen ... aastat vana. Mul on kakskümmend aastat does not tell your age.

  • Writing -aastane apart from the number.

    Ta on 25 aastane.
    Ta on 25-aastane.

    Aastane is always joined to the number: 25aastane or 25-aastane, and viieaastane in words.

  • Using the nominative plural after the number.

    Ma olen kolmkümmend aastad vana.
    Ma olen kolmkümmend aastat vana.

    After a number, use the partitive singular: aastat.

How It Connects

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

Telling Your AgeLevel 2

Learn This First

Age uses a number and the partitive.

Words in This Pattern

vanaaastaneaastakui