How to Say ‘How old (polite)’ in Japanese
おいくつ
おいくつ
💬 Usage Tip: Often written [おいくつ]. It’s a polite, softer way to ask age. Full question: [おいくつですか。]
🇯🇵 In Japan: Asking age can be sensitive, especially for adults. It’s common in forms or among close friends, but in business situations people may avoid it.
Word-by-Word Breakdown
おお
[o]
honorific prefix (polite ‘o-’)
A polite prefix added to some words to make the expression more respectful. In おいくつ (how old), お makes the question sound polite.
おいくつですか。
How old are you?
いくいく
[iku]
how many; how old (part of おいくつ)
From いくつ, used to ask an amount/number; with お + いくつ it becomes a polite way to ask someone’s age.
おいくつですか。
How old are you?
つつ
[tsu]
counter ending (part of いくつ)
The つ is the classic general counter used in いくつ (how many). In おいくつ, it helps form the polite ‘how old/how many’ question.
おいくつですか。
How old are you?
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