Here's a fun fact about Spanish: to say your age, you don't say 'I am 25' — you say 'I have 25 years'! In this lesson, you'll learn this unique structure, master numbers from 21 to 50, and practice talking about ages in your family. Get ready for some mental math in Spanish!
Learning tips
- In Spanish, age uses 'tener' (to have), not 'ser' (to be): 'Tengo 25 años' literally means 'I have 25 years.' This is very different from English!
- Numbers 21-29 are written as one word: veintiuno, veintidós, veintitrés. From 31 onward, it's three words: treinta y uno, treinta y dos.
- The tens follow a pattern: treinta (30), cuarenta (40), cincuenta (50) — notice the -enta/-inta endings.
- 'Mayor' means 'older' and 'menor' means 'younger' — these are more polite than 'viejo' (old) when talking about people.
Warm-up & Active Recall
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| tener | to have |
| tengo | I have |
| tienes | you have (informal) |
| tiene | he/she has |
| el tío | the uncle |
| la tía | the aunt |
| el primo | the cousin (male) |
| la prima | the cousin (female) |
| el esposo | the husband |
| la esposa | the wife |
Dialog
Valentina and Andrés discuss family ages using 'tener + number + años.' This is one of the trickiest things for English speakers — in Spanish you 'have' years, you don't 'are' years old. Notice: '¿Cuántos años tienes?' (How many years do you have?) is how you ask someone's age. 'Mayor' (older) and 'menor' (younger) are polite ways to compare ages.
Vocabulary
Active words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| el año | /ˈa.ɲo/ | the year | Used in age expressions: 'tengo 20 años' |
| ¿cuántos? | /ˈkwan.tos/ | how many? | Feminine form: ¿cuántas? |
| joven | /ˈxo.βen/ | young | Same form for masculine and feminine |
| viejo | /ˈbje.xo/ | old | Can be impolite for people — use 'mayor' instead |
| mayor | /ma.ˈʝoɾ/ | older, elder | Polite way to say 'older' |
| menor | /me.ˈnoɾ/ | younger | Polite way to say 'younger' |
| veintiuno | /bein.ti.ˈu.no/ | twenty-one | Before masculine noun: veintiún (veintiún años) |
| treinta | /ˈtɾein.ta/ | thirty | |
| cuarenta | /kwa.ˈɾen.ta/ | forty | |
| cincuenta | /sin.ˈkwen.ta/ | fifty |
Passive words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| el cumpleaños | /kum.ple.ˈa.ɲos/ | the birthday | Literally: 'the fulfill-years' |
| la edad | /e.ˈðað/ | the age | |
| adulto | /a.ˈðul.to/ | adult | |
| niño | /ˈni.ɲo/ | boy, child (male) | |
| niña | /ˈni.ɲa/ | girl, child (female) | |
| adolescente | /a.ðo.les.ˈsen.te/ | teenager, adolescent | Same form for masculine and feminine |
Useful chunks
| Word | Translation |
|---|---|
| ¿cuántos años tienes? | How old are you? (informal) |
| tengo … años | I am … years old |
Grammar: Expressing age with 'tener + number + años' — numbers 21-50 and their formation patterns
| Age expression | Spanish |
|---|---|
| I am 25 years old | Tengo veinticinco años |
| She is 30 | Tiene treinta años |
| How old are you? | ¿Cuántos años tienes? |
| Number | Spanish | Pattern |
|---|---|---|
| 21 | veintiuno | veinti- + uno |
| 22 | veintidós | veinti- + dos |
| 23 | veintitrés | veinti- + tres |
| 30 | treinta | unique |
| 31 | treinta y uno | treinta + y + uno |
| 40 | cuarenta | unique |
| 50 | cincuenta | unique |
Note: Numbers 21-29 are written as one word (veintiuno, veintidós…). From 31 onward, use 'y': treinta y uno, cuarenta y dos.
In English, you say 'I am 25 years old.' In Spanish, you say 'I have 25 years': Tengo veinticinco años.
This is one of the most important differences between English and Spanish. Age always uses tener, never ser.
Asking age:
- ¿Cuántos años tienes? (informal) — How old are you?
- ¿Cuántos años tiene usted? (formal) — How old are you?
- ¿Cuántos años tiene ella? — How old is she?
Numbers 21-50:
- 21-29: written as one word — veintiuno, veintidós, veintitrés, veinticuatro, veinticinco, veintiséis, veintisiete, veintiocho, veintinueve
- 30, 40, 50: treinta, cuarenta, cincuenta
- 31-39, 41-49: three words with 'y' — treinta y uno, cuarenta y dos, cincuenta y tres
Note: Before a masculine noun, 'veintiuno' becomes 'veintiún': Tengo veintiún años.
Exercises
Fill in the Blanks
Complete each sentence with the missing word.
- ¿Cuántos tienes?(word for 'years' in age expressions)
- Mi abuela tiene años. (50)(number 50 in Spanish)
- Ella es que yo. (younger)(word for 'younger')
- Yo tengo años. (30)(number 30 in Spanish)
- Mi abuelo no es , es joven.(word for 'old')
Grammar Application
Write the numbers in Spanish, or complete the age expression.
- Write in Spanish: 25 → (veinti- + cinco)
- Write in Spanish: 33 → (treinta + y + tres)
- Write in Spanish: 47 → (cuarenta + y + siete)
- Say your age: I am 21 → Tengo años(special form before masculine noun: veintiún)
- Ask her age: How old is she? → ¿Cuántos años ?(third person of 'tener')
Translation (English → Spanish)
Translate each sentence into Spanish. Remember: age uses 'tener,' not 'ser'!
- How old are you? (informal)
- I am thirty-five years old.
- My mom is older. She is fifty years old.
- She is young. She is twenty-one years old.
- My younger brother is forty years old.
Creative Construction
Write 2-3 sentences about the ages of your family members using 'tener + años.'
Takeaway
Spanish expresses age with 'tener + number + años' — NOT with 'ser.' Ask age with '¿Cuántos años tienes?' Numbers 21-29 are one word; 31+ use 'y': treinta y uno. Use 'mayor/menor' instead of 'viejo/joven' when comparing ages politely.