Questions & Answers about Meine Mutter ist vierzig Jahre alt.
How is the number vierzig (forty) formed?
It is built by taking the base number vier (four) and adding the ending -zig, which is the German equivalent of '-ty' in English. Most tens follow this pattern, like fünfzig (fifty) or achtzig (eighty). Just watch out for dreißig (thirty), which uses an ß instead of a z.
How do I pronounce the -ig at the end of vierzig?
In standard German, when a word ends in -ig, it is pronounced like the soft 'ch' in ich. So vierzig sounds a bit like 'feer-tsich'. You might hear people in southern Germany or Austria pronounce it with a hard 'k' sound at the end, but the soft 'ch' is considered the standard.
Why is the word Meine used here instead of just Mein?
Because Mutter (mother) is a feminine noun. In German, words like mein (my) or dein (your) need to match the gender of the noun that follows them. Whenever the noun is feminine, you must add an -e to the end, making it Meine.
Do I always have to include Jahre alt when talking about age?
No, you do not have to. Just like in English, you can leave those words out once the context is clear. Saying simply Meine Mutter ist vierzig is perfectly correct and very common in everyday conversation.