мне ... лет

Age with Dative

Level 3Sounds Like mne let

In Russian, you don't 'are' an age; instead, years 'are to you.' The person goes in the Dative case, followed by the number and the correct form of 'year'.

How It Works

Russian uses an impersonal construction to express age. The person is viewed as the logical subject in the Dative case.

1. The Subject (Dative Case)
Instead of 'Я' (I), use 'Мне' (To me). This applies to all pronouns, names, and nouns:
• Мне / Тебе / Ему / Ей / Нам / Вам / Им
• Names: Ивану двадцать лет.
• Nouns: Брату тридцать лет.

2. The Word for 'Year'
The form of 'year' depends on the last word of the number:

  • Use год (Nominative) for numbers ending in 1 (but not 11).
  • Use года (Genitive Singular) for numbers ending in 2, 3, 4 (but not 12, 13, 14). This follows the rule for 2, 3, 4.
  • Use лет (Genitive Plural) for numbers ending in 5–9, 0, and the 'teens' (11–19). This follows the rule for 5 and above.

3. Past and Future Tense
In the past and future, the verb usually takes the neuter singular form (было / будет). However, if the age ends in 1 (except 11), the verb must agree with the masculine word год:
• Past: Мне было пять лет BUT Мне был двадцать один год.
• Future: Ей будет двадцать лет.

To indicate reaching or turning a specific age, Russians often use the reflexive verb исполниться: Завтра мне исполнится тридцать лет (Tomorrow I will turn thirty).

Examples (5)

  1. Мне двадцать один год.

    I am twenty-one years old.

    Word by Word: To me twenty one year.

    Since the number ends in 'один' (1), we use the singular 'год'.

  2. Сколько лет твоему брату?

    How old is your brother?

    Word by Word: How many years to your brother?

    'Брат' changes to the Dative 'брату'. 'Сколько' always triggers the genitive plural 'лет'.

  3. Ей скоро будет четыре года.

    She will soon be four.

    Word by Word: To her soon will be four years.

    The number 4 requires the genitive singular 'года'. The verb 'будет' is neuter/impersonal.

  4. Ивану было тридцать пять лет.

    Ivan was thirty-five years old.

    Word by Word: To Ivan was thirty five years.

    Numbers ending in 5 require the genitive plural 'лет'. The past tense verb 'было' remains neuter.

  5. Моей сестре двенадцать лет.

    My sister is twelve years old.

    Word by Word: To my sister twelve years.

    Even though 12 ends in '2', the teens (11-14) always take 'лет'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the Nominative case (I am...) instead of the Dative.

    Я двадцать лет.
    Мне двадцать лет.

    Russian does not use 'I am [age]'. You must use the Dative 'Мне' (To me).

  • Using the neuter 'было' for ages ending in 1.

    Мне было двадцать один год.
    Мне был двадцать один год.

    While most ages use the impersonal neuter 'было', if the number ends in 1 (like 21, 31, 41), the verb must be masculine 'был' to agree with the word 'год'.

  • Using 'года' for the number 12, 13, or 14.

    Ему двенадцать года.
    Ему двенадцать лет.

    While 2, 3, and 4 take 'года', the numbers 11-14 are exceptions and always take 'лет'.

How It Connects

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

мне ... летLevel 3Age with Dative

Learn This First

To express age in Russian, you need to know how to put the person in the dative case (using oblique personal pronouns) and how to correctly decline the word for 'years' (год, года, or лет) based on the specific numeral used.

Words in This Pattern

мне ... годлетогод