Telling your age

Content: Telling your age, the “Ha” line (Ha,Hi,Fu,He,Ho), “Ba” line (Ba, Bi, Bu, Be, Bo), and “Pa” line (Pa, Pi, Pu, Pe, Po) of Katakana.

Aim: How do I tell my age in Japanese?

New Vocabulary:

*20 is a special age in Japan. Children legally become adults and earn the right to vote, drink, and smoke. Thus they have a fancy word for 20 years old: “hatachi.”

More numbers (10s to 100s):

Sample Sentences:

たなか：きょうはやまださんのたんじょうびです。(Today is Yamada san’s birthday.)

Kyoo wa yamada san no tanjoo bi desu.

みんな：やまださん、おたんじょうびおめでとうございます。(Happy birthday, Yamada san.)

Yamada san, otanjoo bi omedetoo gozaimasu.

やまだ：ありがとう。(Thank you.)

Arigatoo

アナ：やまださん、なんさいですか？（How old are you, Yamada san?）

Yamada san, nansai desuka?

やまだ：32さいです (32 years old.)

Sanjuu ni sai desu.

アナ：それじゃあ、リカルドとおなじですね。(Then, it’s the same as Ricardo.)

Sorejaa, Ricardo san to onaji desu ne.

Lesson Point:

·     When counting in Japanese, different counters need to be applied depending on the objects or subject, what is being counted. Here we are learning how to count age.

The numbers 1, 6, and 8 are sometimes shortened when they are combined with certain counters. Instead of using their full, normal pronunciation – i.e. “ichi,” “roku,”, “hachi”, and “juu” – they’ll only use half  - “i,” “ro,” “ha,” and “ju.”

Mini-quiz:

Answer the following questions in Japanese.

リカルドさんはなんさいですか？(How old is Ricardo?)

Ricardo san wa nansai desuka?

あなたはなんさいですか？(How old are you?)

Anata wa nansai desuka?

Writing Practice: Katakana (ha, hi, hu, he, ho), (ba, bi, bu, be, bo) and (pa, pi, pu, pe, po):