岁数 (suì shu) — age (years old) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Colloquial word for someone's age, common in everyday questions like 多大岁数了. 年纪 is a close synonym in spoken Chinese; 年龄 is more formal and written.

noun

age (years old)

岁数？
Nǐ jīn nián duō dà suì shu le?
How old are you this year?
岁数，。
Dào le tuì xiū de suì shu, jiù kě yǐ hǎo hǎo xiū xi le.
When you reach retirement age, you can rest well.
岁数，。
Wǒ de suì shu méi yǒu tā dà, dàn tā kàn qǐ lái hěn nián qīng.
I'm not as old as him, but he looks very young.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

岁 points to years and 数 to the count, giving the number of years someone has lived.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 歲; 岁 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

戉

戉yuè歲suì

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 歲, the part 步 shows movement over time, and 戉 gives the sound; this explanation is about 歲, not the simplified 岁.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 數; 数 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

攴攴pū

Sound part声符shēngfú

婁

婁lóu數shù(r)

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 數 pairs 攴, the meaning part, with 婁, the sound part; the simplified 数 is a shorthand.

Appears in