Learn Spanish (Spain): Tiene veintitrés años. - He is twenty-three years old.

In Spanish, you don't be an age; you have years. To express age, you always use the verb tener (to have). So, 'He is twenty-three years old' translates literally to 'He has twenty-three years'.

Why is veintitrés written as one single word?

For numbers in the twenties (21-29), Spanish combines them into a single word. You drop the final 'e' of veinte (twenty), replace it with an 'i', and add the single digit. So, veinte plus tres becomes veintitrés. (For numbers 31 and up, they stay as separate words, like treinta y tres).

Why does veintitrés have an accent mark when tres doesn't?

When you combine the words, the spoken stress falls on the last syllable. Spanish spelling rules require an accent mark here to show that the stress belongs on that final syllable. You will also see this added accent in veintidós (22) and veintiséis (26).

The translation says 'He is...', but where is the word for 'he'?

Spanish often drops subject pronouns like 'he' (él) or 'she' (ella) because the context usually makes it clear who is doing the action. Tiene can mean 'he has', 'she has', or 'you (formal) have'. Here, 'he' is just assumed from the wider conversation.

Does the squiggly line over the 'n' in matter?