Episode 26 · Words That Actually Come Up
Ho trent'anni, not sono trenta anni - your age in Italian
Don't translate it literally: in Italian you don't ARE thirty, you HAVE thirty years. Ho trent'anni.
It's Tom's birthday. He translates I am thirty word for word, and Laura makes him try again.
Laura ·
In this lesson
| Italian | Word for word | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Ho trent'anni | I have thirty years | I'm thirty |
| Quanti anni hai? | how many years do you have? | how old are you? |
| Ha sei anni | he/she has six years | he/she is six |
| Sono trenta anni | I am thirty years | don't say it: age takes avere |
Italian uses avere, to have, for age. It is the first of many: ho fame, ho sete, ho caldo, ho freddo, ho sonno. Where English says I am, Italian often says I have.
Quanti anni hai? Answer in Italian, if you dare!
The dialogue
Every line from the video, with the English meaning under the Italian.
Tom
It's my birthday today!
Laura
Auguri, Tom! Quanti anni hai?
Happy birthday, Tom! How old are you?
Tom✗ Mistake
Sono trenta anni!
I am thirty years!
Laura
Quanti anni... HAI?
How many years do you... HAVE?
Tom
Oh! Have, not be?
Tom✓ Correct
Ho trent'anni!
I'm thirty! (literally: I have thirty years)
Laura
Bravo! L'età si dice con avere.
Well done! Age takes avere, to have.
Tom
So how old are you, Laura?
Laura
Non si chiede l'età a una signora!
You never ask a lady her age!
The voices in this video are synthetic and the on-screen host is generated. The Italian itself is written and checked by a native speaker.
Ready to speak, not just watch?
Practise these phrases out loud with Laura in a small group or a private lesson.
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