I have a math question I feel really embarrassed about for asking.

[DaleWilson83]

Maths was a subject I was never good at from school and I've failed a few times so please forgive me if this question sounds dumb to you guys.

So let's say, if something was out in March 15th 1976 like an album for an example and someone says something like "as I was born in November my 10th birthday would not be for another 5 or 6 months."

What would that basically mean? Does that mean they were 10 in 5 or 6 month's time or something?

 

[Otis]

"as I was born in November my 10th birthday would not be for another 5 or 6 months." … Does that mean they were 10 in 5 or 6 month's time

Hi Dale. That's how I read it, but it's not an accurate statement when the reference month is March. Five months after March is only August (3+5=8), and six months after March is September (3+6=9). The reference date would need to be around May-June, in order for a November date to be "5 or 6 months" later.
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[apple2357]

Do you mind trying to clarify your question? Perhaps offer another example of where you get stuck?

 

[farhan]

If someone was born in November and they are saying that their 10th birthday would not be for another 5 or 6 months, it means that they are currently 9 years old. If an album was released on March 15th, 1976, and this person was born in November of the same year, then they would have turned 9 years old in November of 1985, which is about 5 or 6 months after the album's release.

In other words, the person is using their own age and birthday as a point of reference to indicate that they were not yet 10 years old at the time of the album's release. They are making a point about their own personal experience and how it relates to the timing of the album's release.

 

[MaxMath]

I take this in a 'staged' way where, in one of the two stages, the element "10th" does not matter that much—

Stage 1: no matter how old this person is, i.e no matter which birthday their very next birthday will be, the time (month) of this statement is 5–6 months in advance of November. That is, the month when this statement is made should be earlier than May (11-6) or earlier. Here the coming birthday will be the 10th birthday.

Stage 2: taking into "10th" into account, the month when this statement is made may be any month in the year when (s)he is going to have the 10th birthday, or any time before that year. This makes sense only theoretically, but does not make much sense in daily conversation.

Does that mean they were 10 in 5 or 6 month's time ...?

Strictly, that's not necessarily true. It only suggests, in another 5 or 6 months it will not yet be his or her 10th birthday. Why "5 or 6 months" is relevant and how relevant (and likewise "10th"), will depend on the context.