year-old / year-long
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year-old
Used almost exclusively together with a number to indicate the age of a person or thing in years.
Für die Teilnahme an dem Kurs muss man mindestens 18-jährig sein.
To participate in the course, you must be at least 18 years old.
year-long
Used together with a number to indicate the duration of something in years.
Nach einer dreijährigen Ausbildung hat sie endlich ihren Abschluss gemacht.
After three years of training, she finally graduated.
| basic form | jährig |
|---|
| masc. | fem. | neut. | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nom. | -e | -e | -e | -en |
| acc. | -en | -e | -e | -en |
| dat. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
| gen. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
Add the ending to jährig.
| masc. | fem. | neut. | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nom. | -er | -e | -es | -en |
| acc. | -en | -e | -es | -en |
| dat. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
| gen. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
Add the ending to jährig.
| masc. | fem. | neut. | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nom. | -er | -e | -es | -e |
| acc. | -en | -e | -es | -e |
| dat. | -em | -er | -em | -en |
| gen. | -en | -er | -en | -er |
Add the ending to jährig.
The adjective 'jährig' is almost never used on its own. It always combines with a number to form a new adjective indicating age or duration, for example 'zehnjährig' or '10-jährig' (ten-year-old / ten-year).
Sein zehnjähriger Sohn spielt gerne Fußball.
His ten-year-old son likes playing soccer.
'Jährig' comes from the noun 'das Jahr' (the year). The ending '-ig' is a typical German ending used to turn a noun into an adjective.
Nach einer zweijährigen Weltreise kam sie wieder nach Hause.
After a two-year trip around the world, she came back home.
Whether '-jährig' describes an age or a duration can be recognized from the noun. If it refers to a person or living being, it is about age. If it refers to a process, a contract, or a thing, it is about duration.
Meine dreijährige Tochter geht jetzt in den Kindergarten.
My three-year-old daughter now goes to kindergarten.
Ich habe einen dreijährigen Vertrag unterschrieben.
I signed a three-year contract.
When the number is written as a digit, you use a hyphen: 'der 5-jährige Junge' (the 5-year-old boy). When the number is written as a word, everything is written together: 'der fünfjährige Junge' (the five-year-old boy).
Das 100-jährige Jubiläum der Stadt wird groß gefeiert.
The city's 100-year anniversary is being celebrated in a big way.
old
For a precise statement of age, “jährig” is typically used with a number directly before a noun. “Alt,” by contrast, is used in the fixed predicative form “Jahre alt.” So you say “ein zehnjähriger Hund” (a ten-year-old dog), but “der Hund ist zehn Jahre alt” (the dog is ten years old).
Meine Nachbarin hat einen zehnjährigen Hund.
My neighbor has a ten-year-old dog.
Der Hund meiner Nachbarin ist zehn Jahre alt.
My neighbor’s dog is ten years old.
