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How to Say ‘How old are they?’ in German

Wie alt sind sie denn?

vee ahlt zint zee den

[vee ahlt zint zee den]

💬 Usage Tip: denn here doesn't mean "then"; it just softens the question and makes it sound friendly and interested. Without it, Wie alt sind sie? sounds more like a form being filled in.

Phrase Breakdown

Wie alt

vee ahlt

How old

'Wie' sounds like 'vee'. This is the standard way to ask about age.

Example

Wie alt bist du?

How old are you?

Words in this phrase

Wie

[vee]

how

Question word used to ask about condition, manner, or state.

Example

Wie fühlen Sie sich heute?

How are you feeling today?

alt

[ahlt]

old

Adjective describing age; used with 'wie' to ask how old someone is.

Example

Mein Sohn ist drei Jahre alt.

My son is three years old.

sind sie denn?

zint zee den

are they, then?

'Denn' is a friendly particle that makes the question sound curious and natural. It has no direct translation.

Example

Wo sind sie denn?

So where are they?

Words in this phrase

sind

[zint]

are

Form of 'sein' meaning 'are' with 'wir.'

Example

Wir sind heute für Sie da.

We are here for you today.

sie

[zee]

they

Refers back to plural nouns like 'Testergebnisse'.

Example

Ja, sie sind heute angekommen.

Yes, they arrived today.

denn

[den]

then / actually

A modal particle that makes a question sound more natural, like 'then' or 'actually.'

Example

Was ist denn mit der Heizung los?

So what is wrong with the heating?

Guides for German learners

Duolingo vs Pimsleur: Tapping on a Screen or Talking Out Loud?Duolingo vs Pimsleur: five minutes of tapping versus thirty minutes of speaking. What each is good at, what each costs, and which to pick for your goal.

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