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Nen and Sai with objects and people? 2016/11/8 11:41
I know that if you're saying "I'm 21 years old" then you say, "にじゅにさいです。"

If you say something like, "this building is 3 years old" or "I've lived here for 5 years" or "This car is 9 years old but I've owned it for 3 years".

Do you use ねん or さい in those sentences?
by hajime gakusei  

Re: Nen and Sai with objects and people? 2016/11/8 13:30
"sai" is only used for human and animals.
For plants and trees, use "nen".
by tokyo friend 48 rate this post as useful

Re: Nen and Sai with objects and people? 2016/11/9 00:27
Just to add, "sai" is only used for human and animals when expressing their age.

So if you're saying, "It's been 5 years since my daughter was born, so yes, she is now 5 years old." you use "nen" for the former and "sai" for the latter.
by Uco rate this post as useful

Re: Nen and Sai with objects and people? 2016/11/9 00:37
I know that if you're saying "I'm 21 years old" then you say, "にじゅにさいです。"

Hmm...
by Firas rate this post as useful

Re: Nen and Sai with objects and people? 2016/11/9 04:08
Mainly, If a thing is born or moves w/ life, "sai", i.e. people, animal, fish, etc.
If it is stationary live or dead or an abstract thing, "nenn", i.e. plant (tree, flower, etc.) building, painting, pottery, country, civilization, culture, relationship, etc.
In a sentence, "... years since ..." , "umarete kara or tatete kara or uete kara or tsukutte kara, or kaite kara, or kosai hajimete kara" is " ...nenn desu or ...nenn ni naru".
And "is ... years old" is "....sai desu or ...nenn desu" depending on a thing above.
But "...nenn no sai getsu (歳月, often formal) ga tatta " is "... years has past since..." for any.
by ay (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Nen and Sai with objects and people? 2016/11/9 07:16
ni-ju ni is 22....lol
by John B digs Japan rate this post as useful

Re: Nen and Sai with objects and people? 2016/11/9 15:11
Maybe you couldn't understand "Kanji" meanings.

"nen" for time mainly.
https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=%E5%B9%B4&oldid=40750047

"sai" for life(as biological age) mainly
include Anthropomorphism/Personification(Gijin-ka/kan in JP).
https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=%E6%AD%B3&oldid=40628256

Learn about "Yaoyorozu no kami".
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2007/09/04/news/japans-shinto-buddhis...
http://lang-8.com/461700/journals/136271852632216873154572066875103662...
Japanese Shinto God(s) is NOT symbol.
In Japan a lot of personification characters 2D/3D anime/CG/Game,Yuru-chara and more.
These are not calling "God" but meanings mostly same.
by R2D2 (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Nen and Sai with objects and people? 2016/11/10 10:40
So would these be correct translations?

"this building is 3 years old"
このビルは三年です。
or "I've lived here for 5 years"
ここで五年住んでいます。
or "This car is 9 years old but I've owned it for 3 years".
この車は九年ですが三年持っています。
by hajime gakusei rate this post as useful

Re: Nen and Sai with objects and people? 2016/11/10 13:12
Your "lived here" and "owned it" uses are correct, but the "building" and "car" uses are not. In both cases, you're basically saying "this building is 3 years" and "this car is 9 years" without the specifying the "old" part. The difficulty I think you're having is a bit more fundamental than word choice: basically in Japanese you wouldn't refer to an inanimate object as having an age (sai) like you do in English. So you would convey the information differently, for example このビルは3年前たてられた(this building was built 3 years ago)orこの車は年齢2005年(this car is model year 2005.)
by gfoulk rate this post as useful

Re: Nen and Sai with objects and people? 2016/11/10 13:14
Oops, I meant 年式 not 年齢 in my previous post :p
by gfoulk rate this post as useful

Re: Nen and Sai with objects and people? 2016/11/10 14:59
@ hajime gakusei
Where "thx" comment? :'(
(Not so angry, a bit disappointed)

1) "this building is 3 years old"
このビルは、築3年(chiku-san-nen)です。
築 for buiding/houses needs usual.
築 means "built from/from built year".
築 verb is 築く(kizu-ku) means "fabricate/build/make" for architecture mainly.

2) "I've lived here for 5 years"
ここに(or ここには)、 5年住んでいます。 (Not "de")
Using "de" or "ni" may understand a bit hard exactly.

3) "This car is 9 years old but I've owned it for 3 years".
この車は 9年落ちですが、私の物になってからは 3年です。
or
この車は 9年前の型式(orモデル)ですが、私が 3年前に(中古で)購入(or入手)したものです。
For vehicle also industrial products for working machines/tools need "model year = 年式(nen-siki)" with better.

In Japansee a lot of "counter word(s)" exist not understanding all so easier.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_counter_word

4) Number writing
Kan-suuji/漢数字(Number of Kanji) using for vertical writing(縦書き/tate-gaki) mainly.
Sanyo-suuji/算用数字(Arabic figures/numerals) using for Horizontal writing(横書き/yoko-gaki) mainly.
But both have a lot of exception as word or by design/fashion(out of formal).

5)
Don't forget "、" if for exam/report or business mail/documents.
Jut btw family or friends(include online chat/forum) no need formal style no worry.


@ gfoulk
Just この車は、2005年式です。enough.
Or more compact (これ(は)、) 2005年式(です)。possible.
by R2D2 (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Nen and Sai with objects and people? 2016/11/15 11:31
arigatou gozaimashita, minasan!
by hajime gakusei rate this post as useful

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