Saying your age in Spanish: Tener [número] años = To be [number] years old

Saying your age in Spanish

In Spanish, we use the verb tener (to have) to talk about age. To say I am [number] years old, we use tengo [number of years] + años. 

Read and listen to these sentences:

Tengo 30 años.I am 30 years old. [lit: I have 30 years]

Yo tengo veintiséis años.I am twenty-six years old.

Tengo 57 años ¿Y tú?I am 57 years old, and you?

Asking someone's age in Spanish

To ask how old someone is, you can use either the informal form (tienes), or the formal usted form (tiene). You're literally asking How many years do you have?

¿Cuántos años tienes?How old are you?

¿Cuántos años tiene usted?How old are you? [formal]

Unlike English, note that:
1. you cannot omit años in this expression.
2. we never use the verbs ser or estar (to be) to talk about age.
GRAMMAR: Yo tengo is the first person form (I) of the verb tener (to have) in El Presente.

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Examples and resources

¿Cuántos años tienes?How old are you?
Tengo 57 años ¿Y tú?I am 57 years old, and you?
Yo tengo veintiséis años.I am twenty-six years old.
Tengo 30 años.I am 30 years old. [lit: I have 30 years]
¿Cuántos años tiene usted?How old are you? [formal]
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