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

Fundador de Langcom | Examinador de Cambridge y del SIELE

julio 25, 2026

A1📚 Vocabulario⏱️ 3 minutos de lectura
To talk about age in English, you always use the verb to be, no to have. This is a common mistake for Spanish speakers. For example, you say I am 30 years old, no I have 30 years old. To ask someone’s age, use the question How old…?, like How old are you? o 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 o 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
Número 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

Ejemplos

  • 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.

Práctica

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Errores habituales de los hispanohablantes

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.

  • Incorrecto: I have thirty years old.
  • Correcto: I am thirty years old.
  • Incorrecto: How many years do you have?
  • Correcto: How old are you?

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

Preguntas más frecuentes

Is it “years old” or just “years”?

You can say I am twenty-five o 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.

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Sobre el autor: Raúl Maguiña

Raúl Maguiña es el director de la Asociación Educativa Langcom, un centro autorizado de preparación para el examen Cambridge English en EE.UU.. Con más de una década de experiencia en la enseñanza de idiomas y la certificación internacional, ha ayudado a miles de estudiantes, profesores e instituciones educativas de 25 países a conseguir las certificaciones de inglés de Cambridge, IELTS, TOEFL y Michigan.

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