How to respond in Portuguese when someone asks the child’s age

Introduction

Knowing how to respond when someone asks a child’s age is a basic but very useful skill for beginners learning Brazilian Portuguese. This article explains common questions, polite replies, vocabulary, short dialogues, and practical tips so you can understand and answer naturally in everyday situations like parties, parks, school events, and family visits.

Basic question forms: How people ask a child’s age

In Brazilian Portuguese there are a few natural ways to ask how old a child is. Notice the difference between formal and informal speech. The most common form uses the verb ter, which literally means to have, but is used to express age.

Quantos anos ele tem? — How old is he?

Quantos anos ela tem? — How old is she?

Quantos anos tem o seu filho? — How old is your son?

Quantos anos tem a sua filha? — How old is your daughter?

Que idade ele tem? — What age is he?

Que idade ela tem? — What age is she?

Key vocabulary for age conversations

anos — years

mês / meses — month / months

tem — (he/she) has; used for age

ano — year

idade — age

filho / filha — son / daughter

bebê — baby

criança — child

Simple answers: Saying a child’s age

When you answer, the natural structure is: O/A + child + tem + number + anos. For infants you can mention months.

Ele tem dois anos. — He is two years old.

Ela tem seis meses. — She is six months old.

Meu filho tem cinco anos. — My son is five years old.

Minha filha tem oito anos. — My daughter is eight years old.

Ele tem dois anos. repeated for later examples.

Polite ways to add more information

If you want to add context, use short phrases after the basic answer. These are natural in social settings.

Ele tem dois anos, mas faz três em setembro. — He is two, but turns three in September.

Ela tem seis meses e está começando a engatinhar. — She is six months old and is starting to crawl.

Meu filho tem cinco anos, está na pré-escola. — My son is five and is in preschool.

Short dialogues: Real-life examples

Here are beginner-friendly conversations you might hear at a playground or party. Each line is a separate speaker.

— Oi, que idade ele tem?
— Ele tem quatro anos.

— Quantos anos tem a sua filha?
— Ela tem sete anos, está na segunda série.

— Que idade tem o bebê?
— Tem oito meses.

How to answer when you don’t want to give the exact age

Sometimes people prefer not to state an exact age. Use these polite, vague responses.

Ah, é pequeninho. — Oh, he/she is little. (vague)

Ela ainda é bem nova. — She is still very young.

Ele tem uns três anos. — He is about three years old. (uns = about)

Negative forms and clarifying questions

When someone mishears or guesses incorrectly, you can correct politely.

Não, ele tem dois anos, não três. — No, he is two years old, not three.

Na verdade, ela tem seis meses. — Actually, she is six months old.

You can also ask the listener to repeat if you didn’t hear: Como? — Pardon?/What did you say?

Common beginner mistakes to avoid

Here are mistakes learners often make and how to fix them.

Incorrect word order: Saying Tenho dois anos to talk about the child rather than the child has two years. Use O menino/Minha filha tem dois anos.

Using English structure: Saying Eu tenho cinco anos when speaking for a child. Only use Eu tenho when referring to your own age.

Confusing gender: Use ele for boys and ela for girls. Check possessives: meu filho (male speaker) / minha filha (female speaker).

Useful extra phrases for conversations about children

Ele nasceu em maio. — He was born in May.

Ela já fala algumas palavras. — She already says a few words.

Ele está começando a andar. — He is starting to walk.

Ela gosta de brincar no parque. — She likes playing at the park.

Practical contexts and examples

At the pediatrician: The staff often record age in months for infants. Example: O bebê tem quatro meses.

At a birthday party: People ask and comment. Example: Parabéns! Quantos anos ele faz hoje? — Hoje ele faz cinco anos.

At a preschool pickup: Teachers or parents might ask. Example: Que idade ela tem? — Ela tem três anos e estuda na creche.

In casual introductions: When meeting new parents. Example: Eu sou a Ana, e este é meu filho. Ele tem dois anos.

Numbers 1–10 in Portuguese for saying ages

um / uma — one

dois / duas — two

três — three

quatro — four

cinco — five

seis — six

sete — seven

oito — eight

nove — nine

dez — ten

Tips for sounding natural

Use contractions in speech: Você often reduces to cê in casual speech, but as a beginner stick with você. Native speakers commonly drop the subject pronoun, so O João tem três anos is natural without ele.

Always match gender: minha filha, meu filho. Use the correct article: a menina, o menino.

When talking about babies, months matter: say seis meses instead of half a year for clarity.

Practice mini-scenarios

Scenario 1 — Playground: A parent asks the child’s age. Você: Meu filho tem quatro anos e adora escorregar.

Scenario 2 — Birthday: A guest asks how old the birthday child is. Você: Hoje ela faz seis anos.

Scenario 3 — Doctor: The nurse asks for age in months. Você: O bebê tem três meses.

Short role-play dialogues to practice

Dialogue A
— Oi! Quantos anos ele tem?
— Ele tem nove anos. Gosta de futebol.

Dialogue B
— Que idade tem a sua filha?
— Ela tem dois anos e meio.

Dialogue C
— É seu filho?
— Sim, ele tem um ano.

When age is combined with other basic info

To give a fuller introduction, combine age with simple facts: Meu filho tem quatro anos e estuda na pré-escola. This is helpful at school events or parent-teacher meetings.

For babies: O bebê tem dois meses e mama a cada três horas. Keep sentences short and clear as a beginner.

Pronunciation tips for numbers and tem

Tem sounds like tem with a short e, similar to the e in bed. Numbers are straightforward; listen to native speakers to get rhythm. Practice saying Ele tem dois anos slowly, then at natural speed.

Common follow-up questions you might hear

Que legal! Ele vai para a escola? — Really nice! Does he go to school?

Ele já fala? — Does he already speak?

Quando faz aniversário? — When is the birthday?

Conclusion

Answering questions about a child’s age in Brazilian Portuguese is simple once you learn the basic structure: O/A + child + tem + number + anos or meses. Memorize common questions like Quantos anos ele tem?, the number words, and useful additions like months and school details. With the short dialogues and practical examples here you can confidently reply in everyday situations like parks, parties, and appointments.