Usage note
年纪表示人的年龄。
nián jì biǎo shì rén de nián líng。
年纪 means a person's age.
Context note
年纪常用于描述大小、长幼和比较。
nián jì cháng yòng yú miáo shù dà xiǎo 、 cháng yòu hé bǐ jiào。
It is often used when talking about age, size, or comparison.
5 examples
她年纪很小。
tā nián jì hěn xiǎo。
She is very young.
他年纪大一些。
tā nián jì dà yì xiē。
He is a bit older.
你多大年纪？
nǐ duō dà nián jì？
How old are you?
年纪轻轻就很努力。
nián jì qīng qīng jiù hěn nǔ lì。
He works hard even though he is young.
年纪不同，想法也不同。
nián jì bù tóng， xiǎng fǎ yě bù tóng。
Different ages bring different ideas.
5 mini stories
老师问大家的年纪。
lǎo shī wèn dà jiā de nián jì。
The teacher asked everyone's age.
她年纪不大，但很懂事。
tā nián jì bú dà， dàn hěn dǒng shì。
She is not old, but she is sensible.
年纪大了，也要多运动。
nián jì dà le， yě yào duō yùn dòng。
Even when you get older, you should exercise more.
不同年纪的人喜欢的东西不同。
bù tóng nián jì de rén xǐ huan de dōng xī bù tóng。
People of different ages like different things.
他年纪轻轻就开始工作。
tā nián jì qīng qīng jiù kāi shǐ gōng zuò。
He started working when he was very young.
Mini dialogue
问年纪
A
你今年多大年纪？
Nǐ jīnnián duō dà niánjì?
How old are you this year?
B
我八岁了。
Wǒ bā suì le.
I am eight years old.
爷爷的年纪
A
你爷爷的年纪很大吗？
Nǐ yéye de niánjì hěn dà ma?
Is your grandpa very old?
B
是的，他今年七十岁了。
Shì de, tā jīnnián qīshí suì le.
Yes, he is seventy years old this year.
Related words and contrasts
similar
年龄
nián líng
age (of a person)
年龄 is the formal word for age; 年纪 is more colloquial.
similar
岁数
suì shu
age (years old)
岁数 is often used in questions like 多大岁数？
contrast
年轻
nián qīng
young
年轻 means young, opposite of old age.