Learn Spanish (Spain): ¿Tienes veinte años?

Many Spanish numbers have an 'ie' sound, like siete (7) or diecisiete (17). Because of this, it is a very common beginner mistake to try and spell 20 as 'viente'. Remember that 20 is just veinte.

Why does the sentence use tienes (you have) instead of a word for 'you are'?

In Spanish, you do not 'be' an age, you 'have' years. To say 'I am twenty years old', you literally say 'I have twenty years' (Tengo veinte años). To ask 'Are you twenty?', you ask 'Do you have twenty years?' (¿Tienes veinte años?).

There are no words for 'do' or 'are' here. How does the question work?

English uses helper words like 'Do' or 'Are' to ask questions, but Spanish does not. You simply take the normal statement for 'You are twenty' (Tienes veinte años) and add question marks and a rising tone of voice when speaking.

Is the little squiggle over the 'n' in años important?

Yes, it is very important! The letter ñ is pronounced like the 'ny' in 'canyon'. If you leave the squiggle off and write anos, it becomes a completely different (and embarrassing!) word. Always include it when talking about your age.