Talking About Age in English: Useful Words, Expressions, and Questions

Hello English learners! Welcome to a new lesson. Age is something we talk about surprisingly often in everyday English. We ask people how old they are, talk about different stages of life, describe people as young or middle-aged, and speak about growing older too. That is why it is so useful to learn the right vocabulary and expressions for talking about age in English.

In this lesson, you will learn common words for different stages of life, useful age-related expressions, typical mistakes to avoid, and conversation questions you can use in speaking practice.

How to ask and say your age

Let us start with one of the most common mistakes English learners make.

When talking about age in English, we use the verb to be, not have.

Correct:

• I am 25.
• I am 25 years old.
• She is 18.
• How old are you?

Incorrect:

• I have 25 years.
• I am 25 years.

So remember:

Do not say: I have 25 years.

Say: I am 25 or I am 25 years old.

Stages of life in English

Here are some common words we use for different stages in a person’s life.

Baby

A baby is a very young child, usually from birth to about 12 months old.

Examples:

• Our baby will be six months old next week.
• She has a beautiful baby girl.

Toddler

A toddler is a young child who is learning to walk, usually between the ages of 1 and 3.

Examples:

• Their little boy is a toddler now.
• Toddlers are often full of energy and curiosity.

Child

A child is a young person who has not yet become a teenager.

Examples:

• This film is not suitable for young children.
• When I was a child, I loved reading adventure stories.

Teenager

A teenager is a young person aged between 13 and 19.

Examples:

• The magazine is aimed at teenagers.
• Many teenagers spend a lot of time online.

Adult

An adult is a fully grown person.

Examples:

• Children must be accompanied by an adult.
• In many countries, people legally become adults at 18.

Middle-aged

Middle-aged describes someone who is no longer young but not yet old, often between about 40 and 60.

Examples:

• The couple who moved next door are middle-aged.
• He is a middle-aged man with two teenage daughters.

Elderly / older person

Elderly means old, usually over 70 or 80, but it can sound rather formal or old-fashioned in modern English. In many situations, older person or older people sounds more natural and respectful.

Examples:

• The charity helps older people in the local community.
• My grandparents are elderly, but they are still very active.

Talking about age approximately

Sometimes we do not know someone’s exact age, so we speak approximately.

About / around / roughly

Use these words when you want to give an approximate age.

Examples:

• I think she is about 40.
• He must be around 50 by now.
• She was roughly my age.

Almost / nearly

Use these words when someone is close to a particular age.

Examples:

• My aunt is almost 60.
• He is nearly 18, so he will be able to drive soon.

In your early, mid, or late twenties

A very common way to talk about age in English is with expressions like in your early twenties, in your mid-thirties, or in your late fifties.

Early

This means the first part of a decade.

• early twenties = 20–23 approximately
• early forties = 40–43 approximately

Mid

This means the middle part of a decade.

• mid-twenties = 24–26 approximately
• mid-forties = 44–46 approximately

Late

This means the final part of a decade.

• late thirties = 37–39 approximately
• late sixties = 67–69 approximately

Examples:

• Jane is in her late thirties.
• Her husband is in his mid-forties.
• People often start thinking seriously about retirement in their late fifties or early sixties.

Other useful expressions for talking about age in English

Here are some more useful patterns and phrases.

Turn + age

We use turn to say that someone reaches a particular age.

Examples:

• I’ll turn 24 next month.
• She turned 30 last week.

Be + age

This is the most direct and common way to say someone’s age.

Examples:

• He is 17.
• My sister is 42.

Be + age + years old

This is also correct and slightly more explicit.

Examples:

• Their daughter is five years old.
• I was only ten years old when we moved house.

A …-year-old

We use this before a noun.

Examples:

• Michael is a 20-year-old student from Edinburgh.
• She is a bright 12-year-old girl.

Aged + number

This is more common in written English.

Examples:

• We have two children aged 8 and 11.
• The programme is suitable for children aged 10 and above.

At + age

Use this to talk about what happened when someone was a certain age.

Examples:

• At 35, Maggie was already a famous actress.
• He learned to play the piano at the age of five.

Under / over + age

Use these to talk about age limits.

Examples:

• Children under 12 should not watch this programme.
• The gym offers special classes for people over 60.

Useful questions about age

Here are some common questions people ask when talking about age.

• How old are you?
• How old is your brother?
• When is your birthday?
• What age were you when you started school?
• At what age do people usually retire in your country?
• Do you think age is just a number?

Common adjectives related to age

Here are some useful adjectives you may want to include in your vocabulary.

Young

Examples:

• She looks very young for her age.
• He is one of the youngest players on the team.

Old

Examples:

• My grandfather is 87 years old.
• This town has a very old population.

Elderly

Examples:

• The hospital has a special unit for elderly patients.
• Some elderly people need more support in winter.

Ageing

This word is used when talking about the process of growing older.

Examples:

• Many people worry about ageing.
• The country has an ageing population.

Common expressions related to age

Look your age

To appear the age you really are.

Example:

• She is 50, but she does not look her age at all.

Look younger than your age / look older than your age

Examples:

• He looks younger than his age.
• Stress can make people look older than their age.

Be the same age

Examples:

• We are the same age.
• Are you and your cousin the same age?

Act your age

This means to behave in a way that is suitable for your age. It is often said when someone is being childish.

Example:

• Stop being so silly and act your age.

Come of age

This means to become legally an adult, or to become mature.

Examples:

• In many countries, young people come of age at 18.
• The internet generation has come of age in a very different world.

Common mistakes when talking about age

Here are a few mistakes learners often make.

1. Using “have” instead of “be”

Incorrect: I have 30 years.

Correct: I am 30.

2. Saying “I am 30 years”

Incorrect: I am 30 years.

Correct: I am 30 years old.

3. Confusing “old” and “age”

Incorrect: What old are you?

Correct: How old are you?

4. Forgetting the hyphens in compound adjectives

Incorrect: a 10 year old boy

Correct: a 10-year-old boy

That little hyphen does a lot of work. English does love tiny details, rather like a strict headteacher with a red pen.

Conversation questions for talking about age in English

Here are some speaking questions you can use in class or for self-study.

1. What was your favourite toy when you were a toddler?
2. What was the best age in your life so far?
3. What do you think is the best age to be, and why?
4. At what age do people usually retire in your country?
5. What advice would you give to your younger self?
6. Do you think you look your age?
7. Do you enjoy celebrating your birthday?
8. Do you look forward to getting older, or does it worry you?
9. Do you think ageing is more difficult for men or for women?
10. How are older people treated in your culture?
11. Do elderly people usually live alone, with family, or in care homes in your country?
12. Do you think technology will ever slow down ageing?

Final thoughts

Knowing how to talk about age in English is very useful because it comes up in everyday conversations, descriptions, personal stories, and speaking exams. It also helps you avoid very common mistakes, especially the mistake of using have instead of be.

Try to remember these key points:

• We say I am 25, not I have 25 years
• Use words like baby, toddler, teenager, adult, and middle-aged for life stages
• Learn expressions such as in her early thirties, turn 18, and look your age
• Practise these expressions in real sentences so they become natural

The more vocabulary you learn in context, the easier it becomes to talk naturally and confidently.

Related posts:

Talking about Your Job in English

Vocabulary for Describing Clothes

Interesting Ways to Say OLD

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