English A1: How to Ask and Say Your Age (Numbers & 'To Be') — A1 English vocabulary lesson by Langcom

English A1: How to Ask and Say Your Age (Numbers & ‘To Be’)

Raúl Maguiña

Fondateur de Langcom | Examinateur pour les examens de Cambridge et du SIELE

juillet 25, 2026

A1📚 Vocabulaire⏱️ 3 min read
To talk about age in English, you always use the verb to be, not to have. This is a common mistake for Spanish speakers. For example, you say I am 30 years old, not I have 30 years old. To ask someone’s age, use the question How old…?, like How old are you? ou How old is he? When answering, state the subject, the correct form of to be, and the number. You can add years old at the end, but it is optional. Learning numbers is key to talking about age.

How Do You Ask Someone’s Age in English?

To ask about age in English, you use a special question phrase.

  • Start your question with How old…?
  • After How old, you need a form of the verb to be (am, is, or are).
  • Then, add the person or people you are asking about.

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How Do You Say Your Age in English?

When you say your age, you also use the verb to be. This is very important!

  • The basic structure is: Subject + to be (am/is/are) + number + (years old).
  • The words years old are optional. You can say I am 25 ou I am 25 years old. Both are correct.
  • Remember to use the correct form of to be: I am, you are, he/she/it is, we are, they are.

What Numbers Are Important for Age?

To talk about age, you need to know numbers in English. For A1 level, focus on numbers up to 100.

  • Here are some common numbers you will use:
  • one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten
  • eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen
  • twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, sixty, seventy, eighty, ninety, one hundred
Common Numbers for Talking About Age
Nombre Word
1 one
5 five
10 ten
15 fifteen
20 twenty
25 twenty-five
30 thirty
40 forty
50 fifty
60 sixty
70 seventy
80 eighty
90 ninety
100 one hundred

Exemples

  • How old are you? I am twenty-eight.
  • How old is your sister? She is nineteen years old.
  • How old are your parents? They are sixty and sixty-two.
  • My brother is thirty-five.
  • My grandmother is eighty-seven years old.

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Erreurs courantes chez les hispanophones

A very common mistake for Spanish speakers is to use to have when talking about age. This is because in Spanish you say “tener… años” (to have… years). However, in English, we use to be.

  • Incorrect : I have thirty years old.
  • Correct : I am thirty years old.
  • Incorrect : How many years do you have?
  • Correct : How old are you?

Always remember to use to be (am, is, are) with age in English.

Questions fréquemment posées

Is it “years old” or just “years”?

You can say I am twenty-five ou I am twenty-five years old. Both are correct. You cannot say I am twenty-five years. The word old is important if you include years.

Why do I use “to be” and not “to have” for age?

In English, we describe age as a state of being, not something you possess. So, we use the verb to be (am, is, are). This is a key difference from Spanish, where you use “tener” (to have).

Do I need to know all the numbers?

For A1 level, focus on numbers up to 100, especially for common ages like 1-20 and then the tens (20, 30, 40, etc.). You will learn more numbers as you progress in English.

Leçons associées

À propos de l'auteur : Raúl Maguiña

Raúl Maguiña est le directeur de l'Asociación Educativa Langcom, un centre agréé de préparation à l'examen Cambridge English situé à ÉTATS-UNIS. Fort de plus d'une décennie d'expérience dans l'enseignement des langues et les certifications internationales, il a aidé des milliers d'étudiants, d'enseignants et d'établissements d'enseignement dans 25 pays à obtenir les certifications d'anglais Cambridge, IELTS, TOEFL et Michigan.

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