Telling age

Level 1

To state your age, use the phrase 'Jag är [number] år gammal' (I am [number] years old). To ask, use 'Hur gammal är du?' (How old are you?).

How It Works

In Swedish, you use the verb att vara (to be) to talk about age, similar to English 'I am 25'.

Asking About Age
The most common question is:

  • Hur gammal är du? (How old are you?)

You can change the pronoun to ask about others:

  • Hur gammal är han? (How old is he?)
  • Hur gammal är hon? (How old is she?)
  • Hur gamla är de? (How old are they?) - Note the plural form gamla.

Stating Age
The full structure is:

  • Jag är tjugofem år gammal. (I am twenty-five years old.)

Gammal can also be omitted in ordinary writing when the age is clear. In conversation, år itself can be absent too:

  • Jag är tjugofem år. (I am twenty-five years.)
  • Jag är tjugofem. (I am twenty-five.)

Adjective Agreement
The word 'gammal' is an adjective and must agree with the noun it describes. See adjective agreement.

  • gammal: for a singular personal subject such as jag/hon and for singular 'en' words (e.g., en gammal man - an old man)
  • gammalt: for 'ett' words (e.g., ett gammalt hus - an old house)
  • gamla: for plural (e.g., två gamla vänner - two old friends)

People And Grammatical Gender
A noun referring to a person can still be neuter: Barnet är tre år gammalt. Compare plural Barnen är tre år gamla and personal-pronoun Hon är tre år gammal. Choose the adjective form for the grammatical subject, not simply whether the referent is human.

Keep singular numeral ett with år: Barnet är ett år gammalt; the form år is also used after higher numbers. Before a noun, keep an age adjective or use a compound: ett tre år gammalt barn or ett treårigt barn. The predicative omission in Barnet är tre år does not permit ett tre år barn.

Examples (4)

  1. Hur gammal är du? – Jag är tjugofem år gammal.

    How old are you? – I am twenty-five years old.

    Word by Word: How old are you? – I am twenty-five years old.

  2. Min syster är trettio år.

    My sister is thirty years old.

    Word by Word: My sister is thirty years.

    Gammal is understood after the age. This shorter form is ordinary in writing as well as speech; it is not a grammatical shortcut restricted to casual conversation.

  3. Hur gamla är dina barn? – De är fem och sju.

    How old are your children? – They are five and seven.

    Word by Word: How old are your children? – They are five and seven.

    Notice 'gamla' is used for the plural subject 'barn' (children). The answer can be shortened to just the numbers.

  4. Det här huset är hundra år gammalt.

    This house is one hundred years old.

    Word by Word: This here house is hundred years old.

    Because 'hus' is an 'ett' word (ett hus), the adjective becomes 'gammalt'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'har' (to have) instead of 'är' (to be) for age.

    Jag har 25 år.
    Jag är 25 år gammal.

    This is a common error for learners whose native language uses 'to have' for age (like French or Spanish). Swedish, like English, uses 'to be'.

  • Forgetting to use 'gamla' for plural subjects.

    Mina systrar är tjugo år gammal.
    Mina systrar är tjugo år gamla.

    The adjective 'gammal' must agree with the subject. For plural subjects like 'systrar' (sisters), you must use the plural form 'gamla'.

How It Connects

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

Telling ageLevel 1

Learn This First

To express age in Swedish, you need to know how to use the verb 'to be' (är), how to count using cardinal numbers, and how to use the question word 'hur' (how) to ask for information.