Meaning and Usage
The Korean word '세' is a counter used specifically to indicate a person's age in years. It is attached after a number to express how old someone is. For example, '스물다섯 세' means 'twenty-five years old.'
Common Contexts
'세' is commonly used in everyday conversation when talking about age, such as asking someone's age or stating your own. It is a formal and polite way to express age, often used in official or respectful contexts.
Collocations and Patterns
- 숫자 + 세: to state someone's age (e.g., '열여덟 세' - eighteen years old)
- 몇 세?: to ask 'how old?'
- 세 살: specifically for young children, '살' is often used instead of '세' in casual speech, but '세' is more formal.
Notes
Do not confuse '세' with '살,' which also means age but is more informal and often used for young children. '세' is more formal and used in polite or official contexts. When learning, remember to attach '세' after the number without spaces.
Using '세' correctly helps you sound polite and natural when discussing age in Korean.