How to say "age" in Japanese

• 齢よわいCommon
  nounA noun for a person's age, but seldom the word you want on its own: it appears chiefly in set expressions, and 年齢 is what you use to state or ask someone's age.
• 年齢ねんれいJLPT N3approx.Common
  nounThe noun for a person's age in years — what you give on forms, ask about, or compare between people. It does not cover 'age' meaning a historical era.
  おじいさんの年齢ねんれいは僕ぼくの年齢ねんれいの５倍ばいだ。↗

  My grandfather is five times as old as I am.
• 年代ねんだいJLPT N3approx.Common
  nounHere 'age' means a stretch of time: an era or period of history, or the approximate date of something. It is not the word for how old a person is.
  １９９０年ねん代だいは湾岸わんがん戦争せんそうで始はじまった。↗

  The 1990s began with the Gulf War.
• 老けるふけるJLPT N1approx.Common
  ichidan verb, intransitive verbThe verb for aging that shows: growing old in appearance, showing marks of age. Use it when someone looks older than before — it is about visible change, not simply the passing of years.
  気苦労きぐろうで彼かれは急きゅうにふけた。↗

  Care aged him quickly.
• 老いるおいるJLPT N1approx.Common
  ichidan verb, intransitive verbThe plain verb 'to grow old': reaching old age, advancing in years. Unlike 老ける it does not focus on visible signs; it describes the process of becoming old itself.
  かわいそうな事ことにその老おいた女性じょせいはまたもバッグを盗ぬすまれた。↗

  The poor old woman had her bag stolen again.

For a person's age in years use 年齢 (齢 survives mainly in set phrases); 年代 is an era, period, or date; as a verb, 「老ける」 stresses visible aging while 「老いる」 means growing old.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 齢よわい(one's) age
• 年齢ねんれいage
• 年代ねんだいage
• 老けるふけるto age
• 老いるおいるto age
• 時代じだいperiod
• 満年齢まんねんれいage (expressed in the Western style of counting fully completed years)
• 一代いちだいgeneration
• 年をとるとしをとるto grow old
• エイジage
• 寿じゅage
• 老ろうold age
• 老け込むふけこむto age
• 年端としはage
• 生年しょうねんage
• ひねるto age
• 御年おんとしage (esp. advanced)
• 年を重ねるとしをかさねるto age
• 年取るとしとるto grow old
• 経時けいじpassing of time
• みぎりtime
• 寿齢じゅれいlong life
• 齢を重ねるよわいをかさねるto grow old
• 年がいくとしがいくto grow old
• 年配ねんぱい(approximate) age
• 馬齢ばれい(one's own) age
• 年としage
• 世よage
• 期きage
• 年頃としごろage (when ...)
• 春秋しゅんじゅうyears
• 代だいgeneration
• 朝ちょうperiod
• 歯しage
• 生年せいねんage
• 寝かせるねかせるto (let) ferment
• 寝かすねかすto (let) ferment