In short: "How old are you?" is നിനക്ക് എത്ര വയസ്സായി? (ninakku ethra vayasaayi?) (casual) or നിങ്ങൾക്ക് എത്ര വയസ്സായി? (ningalkku ethra vayasaayi?) (polite). To answer: എനിക്ക് ___ വയസ്സായി (enikku ___ vayasaayi) — "I'm ___ years old."
Variations & related phrases
| Malayalam | Romanised | English |
|---|---|---|
| നിനക്ക് എത്ര വയസ്സായി? | Ninakku ethra vayasaayi? | How old are you? (casual) |
| നിങ്ങൾക്ക് എത്ര വയസ്സായി? | Ningalkku ethra vayasaayi? | How old are you? (polite) |
| എനിക്ക് ___ വയസ്സായി | Enikku ___ vayasaayi | I'm ___ years old |
| വയസ്സ് | Vayassu | Age / years |
When & how to use it
Use ninakku (casual "to you") with peers/children and ningalkku (polite) with elders or strangers. Vayassu means "age / years." Asking a child their age is a warm, common way to start chatting.
Example sentences
| Malayalam | Romanised | English |
|---|---|---|
| നിനക്ക് എത്ര വയസ്സായി? | Ninakku ethra vayasaayi? | How old are you? |
| എനിക്ക് മുപ്പത് വയസ്സായി. | Enikku muppathu vayasaayi. | I'm thirty years old. |
Want to hear this used in a real conversation? Listen to Episode 7 - Meeting Someone New in the free Listen & Learn library — every line has a Malayalam, romanised and English transcript.
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Book a lesson →Frequently asked questions
How do you ask how old someone is in Malayalam?
Say നിനക്ക് എത്ര വയസ്സായി? (ninakku ethra vayasaayi?).
How do you say your age in Malayalam?
Say എനിക്ക് ___ വയസ്സായി (enikku ___ vayasaayi).
What is the Malayalam word for age?
"Age / years" is വയസ്സ് (vayassu).
What is the polite way to ask someone's age?
Use നിങ്ങൾക്ക് എത്ര വയസ്സായി? (ningalkku ethra vayasaayi?).
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