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China Elevator Stories
Saying Your Age In China
When people ask my husband about his age, he will tell different people a different age.
10/10/2013
Ruth Silbermayr
Author
When Austrians ask my husband how old he is, he’ll say he’s 31. When people in South China ask him about his age, he’ll say he’s 32. And when people in Northeast China ask him, he’ll say he’s 33.
So what is true? Does he sometimes lie about his age?
The fact is, he doesn’t. All answers are correct. Let me explain.
For a Westerner, he is 31, counted from the exact date of his birthday.
In most parts of China, though, he is considered 32. After the Chinese New Year, Chinese people add one year to their actual age. What counts is not the exact date of your birthday, but how old you’ll turn in the upcoming year according to the Lunar Calendar.
The same goes for Northeast China, as well as South Korea, where one year is added after the Spring Festival and another year is added, because in these areas a baby is already considered to be one year old on the day of its birth.
Confusing? Not anymore!
Have you ever been confused about someone’s actual age?