Learn how to ask and answer the question "How old are you?"
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| Eric: Top 25 Chinese Questions You Need to Know - Lesson 11: How old are you? in Chinese In each lesson of this 25 part series, you'll master a common question for Chinese learners, and then learn how to answer it like a native. You'll learn how these key phrases work by breaking them down into each component. Then through repetition and new vocabulary, you'll expand your understanding of the question, its answers, and any variations. |
| In this lesson, you'll learn how to respond to the common question “How old are you?” In Chinese this is |
| Cho: 你多大了? |
| The first word in the question is |
| Cho: 你 |
| Eric: meaning “you” in English. |
| Cho: (Slow, by syllable) 你 |
| Eric: Listen again and repeat. |
| Cho: 你 |
| {Pause} |
| Eric: This pattern of first introducing a word at natural speed, providing the translation, breaking it down, and then giving it again at natural speed will be repeated throughout the series. Try to speak aloud as often as possible. The next word in the question is |
| Cho: 多大 |
| Eric: meaning “how old” |
| Cho: (Slow, by syllable) 多大 |
| Eric: Now repeat. |
| Cho: 多大 |
| {Pause} |
| Listen to the the first 2 words of the question and repeat. |
| Cho: 你多大 |
| {pause} |
| Next is |
| Cho: 了 |
| Eric: a particle indicating a completed state |
| Cho: (Slow, by syllable) 了 |
| Eric: Now repeat. |
| Cho: 了 |
| {Pause} |
| Listen to the entire question and repeat. |
| Cho: 你多大了 |
| {pause} |
| Eric: It literally means “You how old already?” |
| Eric: You will hear this common question again and again throughout your studies. Master the following pattern and responses to the question “How old are you?” |
| Cho: 我十八岁。 |
| Eric: "I'm 18 years old.” Again, slowly repeat the phrase. |
| Cho: (Slow) 我十八岁。 |
| {pause} |
| Eric: Let's break it down from the beginning. The first word: |
| Cho: 我 |
| Eric: means “I.” |
| Cho: (Slow, by syllable) 我 |
| Eric: Now repeat |
| Cho: 我 |
| {Pause} |
| Eric: And after that |
| Cho: 十八 |
| meaning “eighteen (18).” |
| Cho: (Slow, by syllable) 十八 |
| Eric:Now repeat. |
| Cho: 十八 |
| {Pause} |
| Eric: And next |
| Cho: 岁 |
| meaning “years-old, age.” |
| Cho: (Slow, by syllable) 岁 |
| Eric:Now repeat. |
| Cho: 岁 |
| {Pause} |
| Eric: Listen to the speaker say, “I'm 18 years old.”, and then repeat. |
| Cho: 我十八岁。 |
| {pause} |
| Eric: To make another phrase, replace 18 with 25. |
| Cho: 二十五 |
| Eric: twenty-five (25) |
| Cho: (slow) 二十五 (regular) 二十五 |
| Eric: Listen to the phrase again, this time with twenty-five (25) |
| Cho: 我二十五岁。 |
| Eric: It mostly stays the same. Simply replace 18 with 25. Say I'm 25 years old. |
| {pause} |
| Cho: 我二十五岁。 |
| Eric: To expand on the pattern, replace 25 with 30. |
| Cho: 三十 |
| Eric: thirty (30) |
| Cho: (slow) 三十 (regular) 三十 |
| Eric: Listen to the phrase again, this time with thirty (30) |
| Cho: 我三十岁。 |
| Eric: It mostly stays the same. Simply replace 25 with 30. Say I'm thirty (30) years old. |
| {pause} |
| Cho: 我三十岁。 |
| Eric: To expand on the pattern, replace 30 with 52. |
| Cho: 五十二 |
| Eric: fifty-two (52) |
| Cho: (slow) 五十二 (regular) 五十二 |
| Eric: Listen to the phrase again, this time with fifty-two (52) |
| Cho: 我五十二岁。 |
| Eric: It mostly stays the same. Simply replace 30 with 52. Say I'm fifty-two (52) years old. |
| {pause} |
| Cho: 我五十二岁。 |
| Now it's time for a quiz. Imagine you are visiting China and someone asks you how old you are. You are 18. Respond to the question. |
| Cho: 你多大了? (five seconds) 我十八岁。 |
| Eric: Imagine you are twenty-five (25). Respond to the question. |
| Cho: 你多大了? (five seconds) 我二十五岁。 |
| Eric: Now imagine you are thirty (30). Answer the speaker's question. |
| Cho: 你多大了? (five seconds) 我三十岁。 |
| Eric: Imagine you're fifty-two (52). Respond to the question. |
| Cho:你多大了? (five seconds) 我五十二岁。 |
| Eric: You want to ask someone how old they are. Ask the question. |
| (5 seconds) |
| Cho: 你多大了? |
| {pause} |
| Eric: Now it's time to answer the question with actual information about yourself. |
| Cho: 你多大了? |
| {pause} |
| Eric: This is the end of Lesson 11 |
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