Celebrate first and treat age as optional

A birthday greeting does not need to lead to a question about age. 생일 축하해요 is a warm, polite “happy birthday,” and 고마워요 is a natural reply. If you are asking about the date, 생일이 언제예요? keeps the conversation focused on the birthday itself.

Age may be relevant in another conversation, but the wording is only part of being considerate. 나이를 여쭤봐도 될까요? asks whether it is all right to ask. Giving the other person room to decline is as important as choosing a polite ending.

Learn date, birthday and age words

생일 is a birthday; 생년월일 is the complete date of birth, including the year. In a friendly conversation, “when is your birthday?” often asks for the month and day. A form labelled 생년월일 asks for a different level of detail.

나이 is the general word for age. 연세 is a respectful word used when referring to an older person’s age. 살 is the everyday age counter, commonly used with native Korean numbers; 세 appears with Sino-Korean numbers in more formal expressions.

Ask less directly when the relationship is new

스무 살이에요 means “I am twenty years old.” 스무 is the form used before the counter, rather than 스물. Similar short forms appear in 한 살, 두 살, 세 살 and 네 살. The counter is part of the expression, not an optional English-style word at the end.

나이를 여쭤봐도 될까요? includes 여쭤보다, a respectful verb for asking, and -도 될까요?, which requests permission. 연세가 어떻게 되세요? also uses respectful language, but it still directly asks for age. The first question leaves more space for whether to answer at all.

Give a birthday without requiring an age

The exchange starts with a greeting and thanks. The next question asks whether the birthday is today. The answer gives the month and day, with no birth year or age required.

If the actual birthday is on another day, the person can simply explain that date. There is no need to treat a birthday celebration and a full date-of-birth record as the same conversation.

Separate birthday, year of birth and age

With a new acquaintance, the reason for an age question may not be obvious. A birthday greeting, a question about celebration plans or a simple good wish can keep the conversation friendly without requiring personal details.

When practising, use an invented date and age. That lets you work on the numbers and counters without sharing your own date of birth. In a real form, read the field label carefully so you know whether it asks for a birthday, a birth year or a complete date.

Correct likely misunderstandings

A respectful word does not make every personal question comfortable. If someone chooses not to answer, the polite response is to move on rather than repeat the question with a different honorific.

Birth dates and ages also serve different purposes in written information. 생년월일 identifies a date; 나이 asks for an age. Seeing one field does not mean you should supply both pieces of information.

Try it in a familiar situation

A small listening check

References and useful next steps

• Korean–English Learners’ Dictionary — Check meanings, usage labels, conjugated examples and human recordings for the lesson vocabulary.

Reviewed September 4, 2026. Found a mistake? Send a correction.