When I was eating a lunch with my friends, a friend asked me about the "how to count our age in other countries?"

For example, in Japan, if someone birthed 2012/03/01, his age is 0 years old, to 2013/02/28.
And at 2012/03/01 (his next birthday), he becomes to 1 years old.

But my friend continued, "but I heard the count is different in Korea."
Is it right? > Korean puzzlers
And if so, will you teach me your countries' age's count? > any other countries' puzzlers

Until a child is 2 years old, in America it is common to give the age in months. For example, I have a 13 month old granddaughter. From then on the age given is usually the number of full years lived. Although when a big birthday is approaching within the next year, one might say, for example, "I'm almost 60."

We (women who have a bit of vanity in them-or just don't care) actually quit counting our age round about 30. Sadly, on 18 September (the day I was born) I'll age another year.

And Robert-please slap me when the day comes and I say I'm almost 60.

Here in HK and in China (?) the older generation seem to have an odd birthday system. They choose the nearest public holiday (or maybe Chinese New Year) and gain a year on that date. I'm not completely sure how that one works.

There're two separate age systems in China, one is the "actual age system" which is exactly the same as that in Japan, while the other is "nominal age system" which is somewhat odd: One is one-year old when he's born, and every time a lunar new year passes his age increases, for instance, a boy is born in the last day of the Rabbit Year, and only one day after he'll be two years old because it's already Dragon Year.

Ah! I heard about that system.
Mouse->Cattle->Tiger->Rabbit->Dragon->Snake->Horse->Sheep->Monkey->Cock->Dog->Boar->Mouse->...
The twelve signs of the Chinese zodiac, is it right?

That's right Hidetoshi. for Hong Kong we use the same birthday system as Japan does. In China it depends on the person or family individually themselves.

Not me...I tell everyone I'm 31. That's because I look don't look it.

That's three days after the bug, right?

I thought women quit counting at 29?

I still find the whole age thing weird. We make a big deal of 18, 21, 40, 50 etc yet with less fingers or a greater orbit those numbers would be completely different.

Haha, sometimes Japanese women say "My age is 20 years + 120 months." LOL!



Japanese big deals are 20 and 60. 20 years old means "teenager (youg) becomes to adult", and the 60 means "adult becomes to old age."
Of course, there are some other (not big but common) deals, like 18, 77, 88, 99, and so on.

When I told my friend who is the same age as I am that I will be retired in three years and a half, he answered "aha, I will be retired in one year and thirty months".
I was frustrated that he could retire earlier than myself and it took me half a minute to realize what he said.