Korean Age Calculator

Korean age differs from the commonly accepted worldwide age reckoning. Determine how old are you in South Korea by date of birth and learn how to calculate Korean age correctly.

How does Korean age work?

The South Korean age system is unique and often confuses foreigners. In Korean culture, age is counted not from the moment of birth, as is customary in Western countries, but from the moment of conception. Months are not important. Therefore, after spending 9 months in the womb, it will be considered in Korea that the child has already turned 1 year old at the moment of birth.

In addition, although people in South Korea still celebrate their birthday, another year is added to the age not on the birthday, but on the day the new calendar year begins, which is January 1st. For example, if you were born on December 15, 2000, then on January 1, 2001, you would already be 2 years old.

How to easily calculate Korean age?

The easiest way is to use or online Korean age calculator. If you prefer to count manually, check out several options to quickly calculate your Korean age below.

How to calculate korean age? Graphical instructions

Option 1: By calendar year

Current calendar year - Year of your birth + 1

For example, how old am I if born on November 12, 1990? My Korean age on January 10, 2025 would be 2025 - 1990 + 1 = 36 years old.

Option 2: By your regular age

If you have already had your birthday this year, add 1 year to your age. If not, add 2 years.

For example, if your birthday is November 12, 1990, then on January 10, 2025, you would be 34 regular years old. Since your birthday is still ahead this year, add 2 years to your regular age. Thus, you get 36 Korean years. And on December 1, 2025, your regular age will be 35 years old. Add 1 year and you'll get 36 Korean years again.

Example: BTS K-pop band members age in Korean years

As an exercise, let's calculate the ages of the members of the popular Korean K-pop group BTS in South Korean age system.

Kim Namjoon - 9/12/1994 - 32 Korean years
Min Yoongi - 3/9/1993 - 33 Korean years
Jung Hoseok - 2/18/1994 - 32 Korean years
Kim Taehyung - 12/30/1995 - 31 Korean years
Park Jimin - 10/13/1995 - 31 Korean years
Kim Seokjin - 12/4/1992 - 34 Korean years

When do Koreans celebrate their birthday?

Despite the fact that for all Koreans the age in years changes strictly on January 1st of the new year, they still celebrate their birthday like ordinary people on the actual calendar day of birth. Also with a cake and candles. But only on this day the official age number in years does not increase. It increases for everyone in Korean simultaneously - on January 1st.

How to say your age in Korean?

"How old are you?" In Korea, you are unlikely to be asked this question out of tact. But if you still want to ask or answer this question, here are a few options.

The question: "How old are you?"

Informal	몇 살이야? (meot sariya?)
Formal	연세가 어떻게 되세요? (yeonsega eotteoke doeseyo?)
Polite	나이가 어떻게 돼요? (naiga eotteoke doeyo?)

실례지만 나이가 어떻게 되세요?
Sillyejiman naiga eotteoke doeseyo?
Excuse me, but how old are you?

The Answer

Informal	___이야. (___ iya.)
Formal	___입니다. (___ imnida.
Polite	___이에요. (___ ieyo.)

Other ages pronunciation

Age	Korean	Romanization
1 year old	한 살	han sal
2 years old	두 살	du sal
3 years old	세 살	se sal
4 years old	네 살	ne sal
5 years old	다섯 살	da-seot sal
6 years old	여섯 살	yeo-seot sal
7 years old	일곱 살	il-gop sal
8 years old	여덟 살	yeo-dul sal
9 years old	아홉 살	a-hop sal
10 years old	열 살	yeol sal
11 years old	열한 살	yeol-han sal
12 years old	열두 살	yeol-du sal
13 years old	열세 살	yeol-se sal
14 years old	열네 살	yeol-ne sal
15 years old	열다섯 살	yeol-da-seot sal
16 years old	열여섯 살	yeol-yeo-seot sal
17 years old	열일곱 살	yeol-il-gop sal
18 years old	열여덟 살	yeol-yeo-dul sal
19 years old	열아홉 살	yeol-a-hop sal
20 years old	스무 살	seu-mu sal
21 years old	스물한 살	seu-mul-han sal
22 years old	스물두 살	seu-mul-du sal
23 years old	스물세 살	seu-mul-se sal
24 years old	스물네 살	seu-mul-ne sal
25 years old	스물다섯 살	seu-mul-da-seot sal
26 years old	스물여섯 살	seu-mul-yeo-seot sal
27 years old	스물일곱 살	seu-mul-il-gop sal
28 years old	스물여덟 살	seu-mul-yeo-dul sal
29 years old	스물아홉 살	seu-mul-a-hop sal
30 years old	서른 살	seo-reun sal
31 years old	서른한 살	seo-reun-han sal
32 years old	서른두 살	seo-reun-du sal
33 years old	서른세 살	seo-reun-se sal
34 years old	서른네 살	seo-reun-ne sal
35 years old	서른다섯 살	seo-reun-da-seot sal
36 years old	서른여섯 살	seo-reun-yeo-seot sal
37 years old	서른일곱 살	seo-reun-il-gop sal
38 years old	서른여덟 살	seo-reun-yeo-dul sal
39 years old	서른아홉 살	seo-reun-a-hop sal
40 years old	마흔 살	ma-heun sal
41 years old	마흔한 살	ma-heun-han sal
42 years old	마흔두 살	ma-heun-du sal
43 years old	마흔세 살	ma-heun-se sal
44 years old	마흔네 살	ma-heun-ne sal
45 years old	마흔다섯 살	ma-heun-da-seot sal
46 years old	마흔여섯 살	ma-heun-yeo-seot sal
47 years old	마흔일곱 살	ma-heun-il-gop sal
48 years old	마흔여덟 살	ma-heun-yeo-dul sal
49 years old	마흔아홉 살	ma-heun-a-hop sal
50 years old	쉰 살	swin sal
51 years old	쉰한 살	swin-han sal
52 years old	쉰두 살	swin-du sal
53 years old	쉰세 살	swin-se sal
54 years old	쉰네 살	swin-ne sal
55 years old	쉰다섯 살	swin-da-seot sal
56 years old	쉰여섯 살	swin-yeo-seot sal
57 years old	쉰일곱 살	swin-il-gop sal
58 years old	쉰여덟 살	swin-yeo-dul sal
59 years old	쉰아홉 살	swin-a-hop sal
60 years old	예순 살	ye-sun sal
61 years old	예순한 살	ye-sun-han sal
62 years old	예순두 살	ye-sun-du sal
63 years old	예순세 살	ye-sun-se sal
64 years old	예순네 살	ye-sun-ne sal
65 years old	예순다섯 살	ye-sun-da-seot sal
66 years old	예순여섯 살	ye-sun-yeo-seot sal
67 years old	예순일곱 살	ye-sun-il-gop sal
68 years old	예순여덟 살	ye-sun-yeo-dul sal
69 years old	예순아홉 살	ye-sun-a-hop sal
70 years old	일흔 살	il-heun sal
71 years old	일흔한 살	il-heun-han sal
72 years old	일흔두 살	il-heun-du sal
73 years old	일흔세 살	il-heun-se sal
74 years old	일흔네 살	il-heun-ne sal
75 years old	일흔다섯 살	il-heun-da-seot sal
76 years old	일흔여섯 살	il-heun-yeo-seot sal
77 years old	일흔일곱 살	il-heun-il-gop sal
78 years old	일흔여덟 살	il-heun-yeo-dul sal
79 years old	일흔아홉 살	il-heun-a-hop sal
80 years old	여든 살	yeo-deun sal
81 years old	여든한 살	yeo-deun-han sal
82 years old	여든두 살	yeo-deun-du sal
83 years old	여든세 살	yeo-deun-se sal
84 years old	여든네 살	yeo-deun-ne sal
85 years old	여든다섯 살	yeo-deun-da-seot sal
86 years old	여든여섯 살	yeo-deun-yeo-seot sal
87 years old	여든일곱 살	yeo-deun-il-gop sal
88 years old	여든여덟 살	yeo-deun-yeo-dul sal
89 years old	여든아홉 살	yeo-deun-a-hop sal
90 years old	아흔 살	a-heun sal
91 years old	아흔한 살	a-heun-han sal
92 years old	아흔두 살	a-heun-du sal
93 years old	아흔세 살	a-heun-se sal
94 years old	아흔네 살	a-heun-ne sal
95 years old	아흔다섯 살	a-heun-da-seot sal
96 years old	아흔여섯 살	a-heun-yeo-seot sal
97 years old	아흔일곱 살	a-heun-il-gop sal
98 years old	아흔여덟 살	a-heun-yeo-dul sal
99 years old	아흔아홉 살	a-heun-a-hop sal
100 years old	백 살	baek sal

South Korea's Transition to International Age Calculation

In June 2023, the South Korean authorities decided to ban the use of the traditional Korean age system in official documents such as medical and legal records. This change aims to reduce confusion associated with different age calculation methods by transitioning to the international system. According to Yoo Sang-bum of the ruling People Power Party, this step is intended to reduce socio-economic costs and prevent conflicts arising from inconsistencies in age determination methods.

"Adopting the international age calculation method will prevent some conflicts arising from the mix of different age calculation systems," said Kim Jong-kwon, a law professor at Chun-An University. "The change may be difficult at first, but everyone will get used to it and stop noticing it."

Created by Alex Fedorov
Last updated : April 1, 2024