The Polite Way for a Man to Ask Someone's Age

Age groups.
Although old-fashioned etiquette may not approve, people under the age of 30 generally do not mind answering the question of how old they are. The man should approach the question in a direct way that does not seem like he is asking for an irrelevant purpose. He should be polite and sincere when asking, and not make jokes unless he is close friends with the person in question. With people over 30, the subject gets slightly trickier. Depending on how old the man who is asking is, the other person may see his question as disrespectful. Therefore, the man must be careful to keep his question sincere and purposeful. It may be helpful to add another phrase onto the question, such as "if you don't mind me asking". This provides an opportunity for the person to tell the man they are uncomfortable answering his question and would prefer to keep their age to themselves. Adding the additional phrase increases the sincerity and reduces the bluntness of the question.

Men.
When the man is asking another man, he will likely run into less trouble answering the question. Men tend to be less self-conscious about their age and therefore have fewer problems disclosing it with other people. Regardless, the man must be careful to approach the question in a delicate but direct way. If the man is addressing someone younger than he is, the person may answer the question easier than if he had been addressing someone older. Either way, he must be sure that the man he is asking is comfortable with both the question and the answer. If they are not, then it is inappropriate for the man to push the subject and try to encourage an answer.

Women.
In the case that the man does not know whether a woman is comfortable with the question (or the answer), he should approach the subject with sincerity and purpose. He should pay attention to the body language of the woman... if she is uncomfortable, she may shift around or blush. These are signs that she does not want to talk about the subject, and the man should change the subject and not pursue it. If she does appear comfortable, the man should again ask in a way that gives the woman a non-awkward opportunity to decline to answer the question.

Reason.
If the man is just curious of someone's age for personal reasons, he should refrain from asking them directly. Asking an acquaintance or family member may be more appropriate, and eliminates the possibility of offending the person. If there is a clear-cut reason for the man asking, however, the situation becomes more appropriate. Situations like this include filling out personal records or information, putting things in historical context, or medical reasons.