Tools · Age
Korean Age Calculator: Korean Age vs American Age
Your traditional Korean age is your age plus one or two: you're 1 at birth, and everyone gets a year older on 1 January. Pick your birthday to see all three Korean ages.
2023 Law Change
As of June 2023, South Korea officially adopted the standard International Age for most legal and administrative purposes (a few laws, like military service and the drinking age, still use Year Age). However, the traditional "Korean Age" is still widely used in casual social settings to work out hierarchy and honorifics.
Awaiting your birthdate
Select your birthdate on the left to see your different ages in Korean culture.
How is Korean age calculated?
In traditional Korean age, a baby is 1 the day it's born, and everyone adds a year on 1 January, not on their birthday. So it's this year minus your birth year, plus one. Someone born on 15 December 2000 is 25 in international age on 1 November 2026, but 27 in traditional Korean age (2026 minus 2000, plus 1).
| Age | How it's counted | Where it's used |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional Korean age세는 나이 seneun nai | 1 at birth, plus one every 1 January | Everyday conversation, less since 2023 |
| Year age연 나이 yeon nai | This year minus your birth year | Military service, buying alcohol and tobacco |
| International (American) age만 나이 man nai | Goes up on your birthday | The legal standard since 28 June 2023 |
Is Korean age still used?
Officially, much less. Since 28 June 2023, South Korean law counts age in international age (만 나이 man nai) unless a law says otherwise. A few still use year age, including military service and the age for buying alcohol and tobacco. In daily life people still often go by birth year: if you were born in the same year, you're 동갑 (donggap), the same age, and can talk to each other as friends.
How to say your age in Korean
Use a native Korean number and 살 (sal): 스물두 살이에요 (seumuldu sarieyo), "I'm 22." The first four numbers and twenty get shorter before 살, so it's 스무 살 (seumu sal) for 20, not 스물 살. To ask someone politely, say 나이가 어떻게 되세요? (naiga eotteoke doeseyo?). The numbers chart has every native number up to 99.
