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How to Say ‘I am twenty years old.’ in German

Ich bin zwanzig Jahre alt.

ikh bin TSVAHN-tsikh yah-re ahlt

[ikh bin TSVAHN-tsikh yah-re ahlt]

Phrase Breakdown

Ich bin

ikh bin

I am

The 'ch' in 'ich' is soft, like a gentle hiss.

Example

Ich bin müde.

I am tired.

Words in this phrase

Ich

[ikh]

The pronoun 'ich' in nominative form.

Example

Ich bin da.

I am here.

bin

[bin]

First-person singular form of 'sein' meaning 'to be.'

Example

Beim Kennenlernen sage ich: Ich bin neu hier.

When meeting people I say: I am new here.

zwanzig Jahre alt.

TSVAHN-tsikh yah-re ahlt

twenty years old.

Number + 'Jahre alt' gives an age. 'Zw' sounds like 'tsv'.

Example

Mein Bruder ist zwanzig Jahre alt.

My brother is twenty years old.

Words in this phrase

zwanzig

[TSVAHN-tsikh]

twenty

The number 20; used for time and quantity.

Example

In zwanzig Minuten ist das Team bereit.

In twenty minutes the team is ready.

Jahre

[yah-re]

years

A unit to measure time, equivalent to 365 days or 12 months.

Example

99 Jahre sind fast ein Jahrhundert.

99 years is almost a century.

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.

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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