Korean word

나이

Pronunciation

Romanizationnai

Meaning

  • nounage

Example

저는 나이가 스물다섯이에요.cheo neun na i ga seu mul da seo si e yo

I am twenty-five years old.

Illustration for 나이 (age)

More examples

그는 나이가 많아서 경험이 풍부하다.keu neun na i ga ma na seo kyeong heo mi pung bu ha da

He is older, so he has a lot of experience.

Core concept

The number of years a person has lived, used to show that person's age.

Common phrases

  • 나이를 먹다na i reul meok tta

    get older

  • 나이가 많다na i ga man ta

    be old

  • 나이가 들다na i ga teul da

    grow older

Similar words

살sal: A word placed after a number to say how many years old a person is.
세se: A short term used with a number when asking or stating someone's age.
만 나이man nai: The full number of years completed since a person's birth.
연세yeonse: A respectful word for an older person's age.

Definition in Korean

사람이 어느 정도 살아온 해의 수로 그 사람의 연령을 나타내는 말sa ra mi eo neu cheong do sa ra on hae ui su ro keu sa ra mui yeol lyeong eul na ta nae neun mal

Word origin

This is a native Korean word for age rather than a transparent Sino-Korean compound, so its internal origin does not provide a reliable component-by-component memory aid.

Usage tips

  • Korean often treats age as something a person has, so saying that someone's age is a number is a natural everyday pattern rather than a direct copy of English phrasing.

Opposites

Related words

  • 나이대naidaeage groupnoun
  • 나잇값naitkkapage-appropriate behaviornoun
  • 나이차naichaage differencenoun

Word lists with this word