Why someone may ask your age
Age can affect forms of address and levels of politeness in Korean. Someone getting acquainted may ask how old you are or what year you were born to help understand that relationship.
It is not the only factor: familiarity, the setting, job roles and personal preference also matter. People vary in how much importance they attach to age. You can choose whether to answer a personal question.
Give your birth year if you want to avoid ambiguity
저는 1990년생이에요 means “I was born in 1990.” Substitute your own birth year. This avoids confusion over whether someone means international age or a traditional counting system.
몇 년생이세요? asks “What year were you born?” 몇 살이세요? asks “How old are you?” If you discover that you are the same age, 동갑이네요 means “We're the same age.”
You do not need to change your speaking style immediately after exchanging ages. Continue politely while you get to know each other.
Understand the age-counting systems
International age, called 만 나이, starts at zero at birth and increases on your birthday. It is the general legal and administrative standard, clarified by changes that took effect on 28 June 2023.
Calendar-year age, called 연 나이, subtracts the birth year from the current year without adjusting for the birthday. Some laws use this or a specific birth-year cutoff.
Traditional Korean age, called 세는 나이, starts at one at birth and increases each 1 January. You may still hear it in conversation, so clarify which system is intended if the number matters.
The government's explanation of the 2023 change identifies exceptions, including school entry, military service and alcohol or tobacco purchases. Do not assume that every age restriction uses the same calculation.
For a purchase or official procedure, follow its stated eligibility rule and provide accepted identification when requested. Giving a spoken age is not a substitute for required ID.
Use forms of address with care
Korean uses several family terms affectionately outside the family. Traditionally, a man may call an older male friend 형 or an older female friend 누나; a woman may use 오빠 for an older male friend or 언니 for an older female friend.
These words imply a relationship and are not automatic titles for every stranger. Ask how a person would like to be addressed, or use the name or professional title they offer.
선배 refers to someone senior in a shared school, workplace or field, while 후배 refers to someone junior in that context. Such a relationship is not determined solely by who is older.
Keep polite speech as your starting point
존댓말 means polite speech, while 반말 refers to casual speech. The polite expressions on the essential-phrases page are useful with staff and people you have just met.
If someone says 말 놓으세요, they are inviting you to speak more casually. You may accept if comfortable, or explain that polite forms are easier for you. Knowing someone's age does not oblige you to speak down to them or use a style you have not learned.
