Meaning of 年龄
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- (a person's) age
Measure word: 把,個|个
How to use 年龄
年龄 is a fairly formal noun for a person's age, common on forms, in news, and in polite questions. In everyday speech people often ask 你多大了 (nǐ duō dà le) instead. Example: 请填写你的年龄。(Qǐng tiánxiě nǐ de niánlíng.) Please fill in your age.
年 (nián) means year, and 龄 (líng) has the tooth radical 齿 (chǐ) on the left. Think of counting the years of a life the way people once judged an animal's age by its teeth.
Common mistake: Learners often write the right side of 龄 as 今 (jīn). It is actually 令 (lìng), which also gives the sound líng. Also keep both syllables in second tone: nián líng, not nián lǐng.
年龄 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
年 nián · year · 6 strokes
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龄 líng · age · 13 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 年龄.
Questions about 年龄
What does 年龄 mean?
年龄 (niánlíng) means "(a person's) age" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 年龄?
年龄 is made of 2 characters: 年 (6 strokes), 龄 (13 strokes). That is 19 strokes in total.
Is 年龄 an HSK word?
Yes. 年龄 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 年龄 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 年龄 is written 年齡.
What is the difference between 年龄 and 岁数?
Both mean age. 年龄 is more neutral and formal, and it fits documents and general statements. 岁数 (suìshu) is colloquial and is often used for older people, as in 您多大岁数了 (nín duō dà suìshu le).
Can 年龄 be used for things other than people?
It is mainly used for people and animals. For trees or buildings Chinese often uses 树龄 (shùlíng) or 年代 (niándài), and for the age of something in general you can use 年限 (niánxiàn) or 年头 (niántóu).