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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: Adults speak to children with du right away. Expect the educator to say du to your child while still saying Sie to you.

Phrase Breakdown

Wie alt

vee ahlt

How old

'Wie' sounds like 'vee'. Use 'wie alt' to ask about age.

Example

Wie alt ist das Haus?

How old is the house?

Words in this phrase

Wie

[vee]

how

Used in exclamations like "how lovely" or "how nice."

Example

Wie schön, das zu hören!

How nice to hear that!

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?

'Bist' goes with the informal 'du', which you use with children and friends.

Example

Bist du müde?

Are you tired?

Words in this phrase

bist

[bist]

are

Second person singular of 'sein.'

Example

Du bist sehr charmant.

You are very charming.

[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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