Saying your age
Sein Alter sagen
- Asking somebody's age
- Say how old you are and when your birthday is
- Position of the verb in the sentence
This lesson teaches how to ask and say your age and birthday in German using phrases like „Wie alt bist du?“ and „Ich bin 30 Jahre alt.“ It also introduces vocabulary for celebrating birthdays such as „der Geburtstag,“ „die Party,“ and „Herzlichen Glückwunsch!“.
Vocabulary (16) Share Copied!
Exercises Share Copied!
These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.
Exercise 1: Reorder sentences
Instruction: Make correct sentences and translate.
Exercise 2: Match a word
Instruction: Match the translations
Exercise 3: Cluster the words
Instruction: Assign the following words to the two appropriate categories.
Alter und Angaben zum Alter
Geburtstag und Feiern
Exercise 4: Translate and use in a sentence
Instruction: Pick a word, translated and use the word in a sentence or dialogue.
1
Jung
Young
2
Der Kuchen
The cake
3
Alt
Old
4
Feiern
To celebrate
5
Ich bin ... Jahre alt.
I am ... years old.
Übung 5: Conversation exercise
Anleitung:
- Say the name and age of each person in the image. (Say the name and age of each person in the image.)
- Say your own age. (Say your own age.)
- Ask the others about their age. (Ask the others about their age.)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
|
Die Frau heißt Hannah und sie ist zweiunddreißig Jahre alt. The woman's name is Hannah and she is thirtytwo years old. |
|
Das Mädchen ist siebzehn Jahre alt. The girl is seventeen years old. |
|
Das Kind ist sechs Jahre alt. The child is six years old. |
|
Die Großmutter ist neunundachtzig Jahre alt. The grandmother is eightynine years old. |
|
Ich bin dreißig Jahre alt. I am thirty years old. |
|
Wie alt bist du? How old are you? |
| ... |
Exercise 6: Dialogue Cards
Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.
Exercise 7: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct solution
1. ___ alt bist du?
(___ old are you?)2. Ich ___ 30 Jahre alt.
(I ___ 30 years old.)3. Wir ___ deinen Geburtstag im Juli.
(We ___ your birthday in July.)4. Ich ___ das Geschenk vor.
(I ___ the gift.)Exercise 8: My Birthday Is Celebrated
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Werden - to become
Präsens
- ich werde
- du wirst
- er/sie/es wird
- wir werden
- ihr werdet
- sie/Sie werden
Vorbereiten - to prepare
Präsens
- ich bereite
- du bereitest
- er/sie/es bereitet
- wir bereiten
- ihr bereitet
- sie/Sie bereiten
Feiern - to celebrate
Präsens
- ich feiere
- du feierst
- er/sie/es feiert
- wir feiern
- ihr feiert
- sie/Sie feiern
Sein - to be
Präteritum
- ich war
- du warst
- er/sie/es war
- wir waren
- ihr wart
- sie/Sie waren
Sein - to be
Präsens
- ich bin
- du bist
- er/sie/es ist
- wir sind
- ihr seid
- sie/Sie sind
Grammar Share Copied!
It's not the most exciting thing, we admit, but it’s absolutely essential (and we promise it'll pay off)!
Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Werden to become Share Copied!
Präsens
| German | English |
|---|---|
| (ich) werde | I become |
| (du) wirst | you become |
| (er/sie/es) wird | he/she/it becomes |
| (wir) werden | we become |
| (ihr) werdet | you become |
| (sie) werden | they become |
Feiern to celebrate Share Copied!
Präsens
| German | English |
|---|---|
| (ich) feiere | I celebrate |
| (du) feierst | You celebrate |
| (er/sie/es) feiert | he/she/it celebrates |
| (wir) feiern | we celebrate |
| (ihr) feiert | you celebrate |
| (sie) feiern | they celebrate |
Vorbereiten to prepare Share Copied!
Präsens
| German | English |
|---|---|
| (ich) bereite vor | I prepare |
| (du) bereitest vor | You prepare |
| (er/sie/es) bereitet vor | he/she/it prepares |
| (wir) bereiten vor | we prepare |
| (ihr) bereitet vor | you prepare |
| (sie) bereiten vor | they prepare |
Don't see progress when learning on your own? Study this material with a certified teacher!
Do you want to practice German today? That is possible! Just contact one of our teachers today.
Lesson Overview: Saying Your Age and Talking About Birthdays
This lesson helps you learn how to ask and say your age in German, inquire about and give birthday information, and discuss celebrations. It's designed for beginner learners (A1 level) and focuses on common phrases, sentence structure, and some useful vocabulary relating to age and birthday events.
Key Topics Covered
- Asking and stating age: Learn phrases like "Wie alt bist du?" (How old are you?) and how to respond with "Ich bin 25 Jahre alt." (I am 25 years old.)
- Discussing birthdays: Questions such as "Wann hast du Geburtstag?" (When is your birthday?) and answers like "Mein Geburtstag ist im Mai." (My birthday is in May.)
- Related vocabulary: Words connected to age and celebrations, such as das Alter (age), jung (young), der Geburtstag (birthday), die Party (party), and der Kuchen (cake).
- Verb placement in sentences: Understanding the correct order of verbs, especially in questions and statements involving the verb sein (to be) and other common verbs like feiern (to celebrate) and vorbereiten (to prepare).
Important Phrases and Examples
- Wie alt bist du? – How old are you?
- Ich bin 30 Jahre alt. – I am 30 years old.
- Wann hast du Geburtstag? – When is your birthday?
- Wir feiern eine Party mit Kuchen. – We are celebrating a party with cake.
- Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag! – Happy birthday!
Useful Expressions and Sentence Structure
In German, the verb usually comes in the second position in statements, but in questions, the verb often comes first or directly after the question word. For example:
- Question: Wie alt bist du? (Wie = how, bist = are, du = you)
- Statement: Ich bin 30 Jahre alt. (Ich = I, bin = am, 30 Jahre alt = 30 years old)
Language Differences and Tips
Unlike English, German questions typically invert the subject and the verb or start directly with the verb after a question word. The phrase "Wie alt bist du?" literally translates to "How old are you?" but the verb bist (are) comes immediately after the question word wie (how).
Some helpful vocabulary and their English equivalents:
- alt – old (used when talking about age)
- jung – young
- der Geburtstag – birthday
- feiern – to celebrate
- Kuchen – cake
- Herzlichen Glückwunsch! – Congratulations! / Happy birthday!
These lessons would not be possible without our amazing partners🙏
