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

Wie alt bist du?

vee ahlt bist doo

[vee ahlt bist doo]

🇩🇪 In Germany: Fine with kids or friends, but asking an adult stranger's age this casually is rude. With adults, use Wie alt sind Sie?, and only if there's a reason to ask.

Phrase Breakdown

Wie alt

vee ahlt

How old

Asks about age. 'Wie' sounds like 'vee'.

Example

Wie alt ist das Haus?

How old is the house?

Words in this phrase

Wie

[vee]

how

A word used to ask about the manner or degree of something.

Example

Wie geht es dir?

How are you?

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.

bist du?

bist doo

are you?

The informal 'you' form. Use 'sind Sie' in formal situations.

Example

Wo bist du?

Where are you?

Words in this phrase

bist

[bist]

Are

Used to ask about someone's identity or profession.

Example

Bist du bereit?

Are you ready?

[doo]

you (singular/informal)

Used when speaking to one person informally.

Example

Wie fühlst du dich heute Abend?

How do you feel this evening?

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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