KoreanBlueprint
Daily Korean
Today’s Phrase
몇 살이에요?
myeot sa·ri·e·yo
myeot sarieyo?
How old are you?
Cultural Insight
In Korea, age is deeply tied to social hierarchy and speech levels. Knowing someone’s age determines whether you use formal (존댓말) or informal (반말) speech. Korea now also uses 만 나이 (international age system) officially since 2023, reducing age by 1-2 years from the traditional Korean age.
Phrase Breakdown
몇 살
myeot sal
how many years (old)
몇 (how many) + 살 (age counter, native Korean)
이에요?
ieyo?
is it? (polite)
Polite question form of 이다 after consonant
A common social question in Korea used to establish age-based speech levels.
Example Phrases
실례지만 몇 살이에요?
Sillyejiman myeot sarieyo?
Excuse me, how old are you?
실례지만 softens the potentially intrusive question.
저는 스물다섯 살이에요.
Jeoneun seumuldaseot sarieyo.
I am 25 years old.
스물다섯 is native Korean for 25.
연세가 어떻게 되세요?
Yeonsega eotteoke doeseyo?
How old are you? (honorific)
연세 is the honorific word for age.
Related Phrases
저보다 나이가 많으세요?
jeoboda naiga maneuseyo?
Are you older than me?
Comparing ages relative to yourself.
나이 차이가 얼마나 나요?
nai chaiga eolmana nayo?
How big is the age difference?
Asking about the gap in ages.
동갑이에요?
donggabieyo?
Are you the same age as me?
Asking if you share the same birth year.
Quick Review
제 말이 맞죠?
Can you recall what this means?
je mari matjyo?
I’m right, aren’t I?